Too Heavy A Burden
by Omoni
Summary: A direct sequel to "Delilah" (YES READ IT FIRST) that takes after that fic's events and explore the complex relationship Frisk and Asriel now have, as well as how the world is changing around them due to the breaking of the barrier.
1. Carry

_Helloooo! Welcome to the direct sequel to Delilah! Yes, that means if you're reading this, you've missed an incredibly important fic in this series and should go back to read it if you plan on reading this one. Otherwise, you will be up Confusion River without a paddle. I never planned on making more, but you guys keep on believing in me and that makes me write so much more. That being said, if you read Delilah and liked it as it ended, skip this, because I add waaaaay more to the story. That's all I've to say for now!_

 _Like Delilah, this fic's title and chapter names come from a song, this time by The Tiny of the same name. It's a gorgeous song, one I highly recommend listening to._

 _Okay bye!_

 **Chapter One: Carry**

Sometimes, at night, Frisk could hear Asriel crying. At first, when they both came home, Asriel had trouble sleeping, usually pulling all-nighters and pacing alone in the basement, lost in thoughts. Eventually, once Frisk was well enough to return to both of her jobs part-time, Asriel expressed interest in going with her to both.

"But..." Frisk gazed at him, noticing how depressed he seemed, watching her pack for school that she would resume the next day. "Asriel, I'm a teacher's aide. Why would an aide need an aide?" She had hoped to make him at least smile, but his eyes went dark, and he frowned, looking away.

"Can't... can't I come with you anyway?" he wondered. That's when Frisk understood; he wanted to go because he was lonely. He was afraid of having the house to himself. He had spent much of his time taking care of Frisk during her recovery, and though he had done a good job, he wished she could still stay home, anyway.

"I'll ask Mama, okay?" she promised, and did. Toriel was confused, until Frisk admitted her thoughts on the matter. Then Toriel became thoughtful. "Well, I don't need two aides. But Gorey... he could use one."

Asgore was delighted by the idea, the irony of Asriel working in landscaping completely lost on both him and Toriel. Frisk was afraid Asriel wouldn't take the offer, but he surprised her by doing not only that, but also discovering how much he, too, was fond of it, just like Asgore. In the long run, it made everyone happy. (Well, except Papyrus, because Asriel refused to give his hedge-selves more teeth.)

It seemed that with a new schedule and distractions, Asriel was able to get sleep regularly. But then Frisk heard him having nightmares, or crying himself to sleep, and she suddenly understood the real reason for his insomnia: he didn't want to dream. Usually, if she heard him first, she'd leave him alone. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be welcome comforting him, but she knew Toriel was, and she always waited until she heard Toriel knock at his door before falling back asleep.

But one night, Frisk heard him crying, and she was on her feet and out the door at once. For whatever reason, her mind decided that she had to do something, and before Asriel was found by a parent. She could hear him when she got to the door, and she knocked on it lightly before whispering his name. The sounds stopped at once, and she heard him get up and walk to the door.

He opened, already whispering, "Mom, it's okay," his expression irritated. However, once he realised it was Frisk, his expression changed immediately, to one of immense relief. "Frisk! Come in!" And she did, shutting the door gently behind her.

"Listen-," he began, but she shut him up at once with a hug. His face fell at once, unable to maintain it at this, and he buried his face into her shoulder like he always did at moments like this, holding onto her close and beginning to cry again.

Frisk knew he needed her for this. Over the past few weeks since her birthday (or "Fallday", as Asgore called it), everyone had had to adjust to him, and Asriel knew he was a rather cumbersome load to deal with. Whenever his parents asked after him, or tried to comfort him, all he could feel was guilt, and he therefore tried to keep it all in to spare them.

But Frisk... Asriel never lied to Frisk. Not anymore. He never wanted to lie to her again; eight years was more than enough. So when she offered comfort, advice, or even just a smile, he knew he could be honest with her. He didn't feel as much of a burden with her, though he could only explain _his_ side. He had no idea why Frisk, after all that he had done, would ever want to care enough to do any of these things, but she did, and without judgement or hesitation, or even a word if she knew he didn't want them.

Frisk rubbed his back gently, like she found herself doing more often, now. He never hesitated with her, though she knew he did with their parents. She didn't know why, but she would always make sure to be there for him. Why else had she done all that she did, risked all that she had, to get him back?

"It's okay, Asriel," Frisk whispered gently. "You're safe, okay? Everything is fine."

Asriel nodded, shutting his eyes right. He sniffled a bit, the worst of his tears now spent, but he didn't let go, so she stayed right where she was. "I'm... so happy you're here, Frisk," he admitted. "I hate bothering Mom."

"You know she loves you, and loves every moment she spends with you," Frisk corrected, a touch sharp. "If anything, she looks forward to it."

He pulled away a bit, making a face. "Frisk, that was a stupid thing to say."

She grinned in reply, her eyes dancing. "You know it's true, and that's why you're cranky."

"Whatever," he replied, finally smiling, unable to help it. They both adored Toriel, but they also knew how much she fussed - and seemed to enjoy fussing - especially over Asriel.

Frisk gave him a final squeeze before she let him go. Asriel felt his smile drop a bit from this, but Frisk didn't see it; her eyes were on his computer. "Why?" she asked flatly, her finger pointing to the screen.

Asriel blushed and scratched at his cheek, looking away, though he couldn't help a slight sniffle, still upset. Now she knew why. On the screen was UnderNet, and in his newly made profile, he had noticed comments. About him, and to him, most of them not nice. He had spent hours making the profile, and within its first hour, there were the comments. And he kept refreshing, getting more and more upset as the stack of comments grew, unable to stay away despite logic telling him to do so.

"For the love of pie, Asriel! No wonder you can't sleep!" Frisk cried, sitting down at his desk at once. She signed him out and signed in as herself before he could stop her. However, instead of reporting the abuse like he had expected, she merely replied to it:

 _"Please stop abusing Asriel. He hasn't earned it, but I know who has. Direct all of this hate to sans, please, as he's the one who's to blame for the bulk of the mess. He was the one who killed me, after all. So if I see another mean comment here again, I'm going to be angry._

 _Love, Frisk Dreemurr"_

The whole time, Asriel had tried to wrestle control from her, but she just batted his hands away easily. Once she had it posted, she grinned and finally gave up the chair with a mock-bow. He sighed this time, sitting back down and signing back in as himself - only to notice a change. The comments became apologetic - almost nice. In shock, he saw that not a lot of people knew the whole story - especially the humans, the meanest of the commenters - but once they did, they were on his side, and sorry.

"I knew it," Frisk said smugly, arms crossed and grinning happily.

"I can fight my own battles, Frisk," he answered grumpily.

"Yet you choose not to," she replied. "You just keep wearing your hairshirt in silence.

Asriel scrunched up his face at that. "What does that even mean?"

Frisk rolled her eyes. "People - humans - used to wear shirts with scratchy hair on the inside in order to chafe their skin. They saw it as a form of self-denial, of self-penance. Sound familiar?" She narrowed her eyes now. "You're lucky Mama didn't come in. If she had seen that, she would have either stayed up all night replying to everyone or erased it."

Asriel knew it was true, but it was no less frustrating. "I'm not... wearing a hairshirt," he answered, now looking away.

"No, you're wearing _three_ , Mr F5," she replied.

He scowled. "Frisky."

 _She_ scowled back. "Don't do that," she warned. "I'll leave!"

"I didn't ask you to come here," he answered without thinking, meaning the exact opposite. He was so used to saying that in front of her that it just came out.

Any person not used to this likely would have left, but Frisk knew him well - maybe even more when he got embarrassed or grumpy, like now - and thus stayed right where she was. Instead, she added, "Fourth hairshirt."

Asriel sighed, sagging in his seat a little, and she couldn't help it; she patted his shoulder, and in reply, he reached up and held her hand to him, keeping it placed on his shoulder.

"You're right," he finally admitted, surprising her. "I was."

"I do know some things, Asriel. I am both an ambassador and a politician's daughter."

"Oh, like Dad cares about politics nowadays!" Asriel snorted. "He barely did when I was a kid."

"Well, maybe I sort of forced him to care?" Frisk offered with a shrug. "I dunno. But he really likes them, at least human politics. He says they make him laugh." She paused. "That... may not have been a compliment."

Asriel burst into laughter at that, unable to swallow the bubble of giggles like he usually could anything else. It wasn't even that funny, but it was just nice to be able to care, for once. He couldn't care as Flowey, not even a little; he had been numb to everything, and yet everything hurt him like the sharpest of knives. It was only with lies and anger that he could move away from that pain. Now, however, he didn't have to do that. If anything, he probably should have tried harder _not_ to do it.

Frisk squeezed his shoulder, and in reply he squeezed her hand, looking up at her with a smile. "Now," she said, "can you please turn that off and go to sleep?"

His smile vanished. "I don't know if I can get to sleep tonight," he admitted reluctantly.

"Okay." She grabbed his hand between. both of her own and pulled him to his feet. He didn't put up a fight; he never did with her anymore. "Let's stay up," she then added, surprising him. "We'll watch a bad movie or two in the basement and have a blast."

"Wait, but..." He hesitated, not wanting to say it but also knowing he had to. "There's work tomorrow. For both of us."

"Oh, who cares, Asriel?" was her reply, a trace dry. "If we're sleepy tomorrow, then we are. We can nap during breaks. C'mon, silly." She tugged on his hand and pulled him out of the room, before practically dragging him to the basement. He didn't mean to put up a fight, but he was, anyway.

Fifth hairshirt.

Once he was sitting down on the couch in front of a cheap TV, Frisk sat down beside him with a stack of movies for them both to pick through - and laughing at his sarcasm when she offered her choices, he felt so much better. Almost as if he were literally lighter, as if he had no worries beyond everyday concerns. That was a nice feeling.

When they settled on three movies, Frisk put their first choice in and jumped on the couch beside him, holding the remote. Her eyes were already on the screen, looking excited; she was blushing a little, and her eyes shone. He found himself blushing a bit in response, but managed to hide it from her, turning his gaze to the TV as well.

She _was_ blushing, but she didn't know why. All she knew was that Asriel was cheering up, enough to smile and joke around with her - and it always made her heart race and her blood feel warm. She figured it was because she was still learning to accept Asriel as he was now - which was actually true, and a big part of it - but the part she chose to ignore was the main reason.

Frisk was always practical, even when the situation practically begs for recklessness. Instead of meeting her issues face-to-face, she faced the TV, pushing that pile of impractical thoughts away, focussing on the screen instead.

Unsurprisingly, Frisk was the one who dropped into sleep first, curled up against the armrest of her side of the couch, the movie barely into its second act. Asriel didn't realise it until the middle, and he turned down the volume immediately, even though she didn't seem affected by it. He tried to keep watching for a bit longer, but kept getting distracted - through no fault of Frisk's. Rather, he kept looking at her to make sure she was sleeping safely, or was comfortable, or cold, or any other excuse he could think of. She was fine every time he checked, and every time he could confirm that, he felt better, enough to finally drift off on his side of the couch, barely into the third act.

He slept heavy, probably the best sleep he'd ever had in his life.

* * *

Asgore was frozen in place, his arms full of laundry basket, but his eyes even fuller, unable to help it. He stared from his place at the bottom of the basement stairs, having just found his two children on the TV couch, both sleeping so heavily they didn't even notice him. _Both_ children, he saw; Asriel was now curled up at Frisk's feet, not touching her save a hand on one of her ankles; one of her hands was resting on the top of his head, her fingers twined into his white hair. Asgore hadn't seen his son sleep this sound since he was just a toddler, nor had he ever seen Frisk smile in her sleep before.

It took him a great deal of time to snap out of it, especially since he knew he should get them both up soon to start their day. He crept to the laundry room and put his basketful to wash, then hurriedly went back upstairs.

Toriel was already rushing to join him, looking panicked. "Gorey-!"

"Downstairs," he said at once. He knew what she was scared about, proven when the moment he said it, she calmed down and put a hand to her chest. He looked right into her eyes and added, "Sleeping downstairs."

Toriel blinked. _"Asriel_ is sleeping?" she echoed. _"Our_ Asriel? Real sleep?"

Asgore nodded. "Real sleep. He didn't even hear me put the laundry on."

"Oh, my poor boy," she whispered. "And Frisk?"

"Same, but..." He hesitated.

"But?" Toriel pressed, confused.

"Tori..." He looked torn, and she placed a hand to his cheek, patiently waiting with a kind smile. "You were right," he concluded finally, "About him."

Her face fell, her eyes sad immediately. "Damn," she murmured, looking down at the floor.

"Can you blame him, though?"

"No," she agreed. "But I just wish it were easier."

"Things _are_ getting easier," Asgore protested, but Toriel shook her head.

"I meant for _him_ ," she explained. "Not just in the world, but in _his_ world."

Asgore was confused, but she didn't elaborate or explain. She didn't know how to yet. "Do we wake them?" he wondered.

"No," she said softly, her hand limps at her sides. "We let then sleep. They both need it, and we can do without them for one day, I'm sure. Can we not?"

Asgore nodded. "We should leave a note."

"Good idea." She paused. "Did you say you put the laundry on, Gorey?"

He smiled. "I did."

She hugged him. "Thank you." She was sincere, and he hugged her back, blushing. "It's just laundry," he admitted.

Toriel didn't say anything. She was crying into his shoulder. With a heavy heart, he held her closer, his smile vanishing, but soon he found himself unable to hold back tears of his own.

The truth usually hurts badly, the more important the worse it wounds - especially if you refuse to see it coming.


	2. Home

**Chapter Two: Home**

Asriel woke up first, something he hadn't done in a long, long time, usually sleeping in during the day to make up for a sleepless night. He opened his eyes, actually bemused by waking up normally and rested. It was a concept that was alien to him, and had been for so long.

The next thing he realised was that Frisk had her hand on his head. Once he did, he made sure he kept very still, unable to keep his heart from racing. He shut his eyes again and tried to relax, hoping to go back to sleep again.

When he had that thought, a second-last needle dropped in front of him before his eyes, almost brilliant enough to finally get through the fog in his eyes, but not yet. What he instead concluded from it was that the strange thing wasn't waking up first - but rested. He always had nightmares, but for some reason, he didn't remember having _any_ the night before. It was that thought alone that allowed him to drift back into sleep again.

However, Asriel awoke rather abruptly when he felt a finger shoved up his nose - and the sneeze that came from it. Frisk laughed so hard she fell off the couch and onto the floor, where he sat up, blushing furiously but unable to keep a smile from his face, anyway.

 _"Must_ you always wake me up like that?!" he demanded.

"Hey!" Frisk protested, now sitting cross-legged on the floor, her hair messy and knotted with sleep about her face. "You were on my feet! I couldn't move!"

"Oh," he said at once. "I'm sorry..."

"No," she answered, rolling her eyes. "I don't _mind_ , but don't be cranky if I have to wake you up weird because of it!"

Asriel smiled again. "That's fair," he agreed, feeling a trace shy, now.

Frisk was about to reply when cold realisation hit her. _"Shoot!"_ she yelped, jumping to her feet and rushing upstairs, startling Asriel - until he came to the same conclusion moments later and followed. She dashed into the kitchen only to find, instead of impatient parents, a note from them, instead. She grabbed it.

 _Frisk & Asriel,_  
 _There is a pie in the fridge you can both share, so please do feed yourselves. You've the day off today; your father and I would rather you spend the day in repose._  
 _Don't forget about the pie, especially you, Asriel!_  
 _xoxo  
Mum & Dad_

"Huh." Frisk was surprised; she'd expected a written lecture at least, not a cheerful granting of a day off for sleep. Once he had caught up, Asriel grabbed the note and read it, earning him a sour look, but when he echoed, "Huh," she laughed, instead.

"Day off," he concluded, looking at Frisk with a smile. She knew that look and cheered. "Movie day!" she declared. It was easy to fall back into their habits they had made together during Frisk's recovery.

And that's when the final pin stabbed him in the heart, refusing to be ignored by Asriel any longer. In his shock, he dropped the note, his smile vanishing.

 _That_ was the reason he had slept so well, because he always caught naps when she did when still hurt, and found it a comfort: he never slept alone, and never woke alone - and neither did she. It was _company_ that gave him sleep-

 _No,_ he thought. _Don't do that. Just accept it. It's Frisk. Not "company", but_ her _company. Idiot._

Frisk was the comforting aspect, not the habits.

When Frisk grabbed the note and tossed it on the counter, Asriel blinked out of his amazed reverie. "Slob," she teased. "Well, the morning's gone, apparently. Wanna go out or stay in?"

Asriel shook his head right away, looking panicked. He hated going out, especially this soon, as every time he did, someone always recognised him - human _or_ monster - and he was always getting lectured - kind or not. He found that, while he loathed loneliness, he wasn't sure filling it with a myriad of people would cure that loneliness.

Frisk placed her hand on his forearm lightly, getting his attention back, again. "Okay, we'll stay in," she said gently, reading his answer on his face. "Do you mind heating up the pie? I'm going to get dressed, and when I'm done, you can go up and I'll watch the pie. Sound good?"

When Asriel nodded, she rushed up the stairs. She didn't know why she was in a hurry - or, more accurately, she didn't want to _admit_ it yet - but she gave into the impulse, anyway.

* * *

"Uh..." Alphys stared at the two waiting for her patiently outside of her lecture hall, not the only one giving up a shocked stare. "Hi...?"

"Howdy, Doctor Alphys!" Asgore said as usual. "How are you?" However, despite the usual greeting, the level of enthusiasm was anything but par. He looked oddly preoccupied, as did Toriel beside him, who nodded her greeting but stayed quiet, further confusing Alphys - she was used to at least one pun from Toriel by now.

"What's happened?" Alphys asked suddenly, her eyes on Asgore, then Toriel, noticing they clearly shared a distressing issue. "W-wait, is it A-Asriel and Frisk?" She broke into a sweat. "Are they okay?" Though she still stumbled on Asriel's name, trying to get used to it, her concern was genuine.

"Well..." Asgore started, but Toriel elbowed him, and he shut up. "They're okay, Alphys," she said softly, but Alphys knew she had struck on the issue. "Do you have any plans for lunch?"

Alphys hesitated, then sighed. "No, and you kn-knew that, already, di-didn't you? Okay..." She immediately walked to their side, her work bag over her shoulder. "Tell me what happened on the way."

Both Asgore and Toriel stared at her. Ever since Alphys had managed to do the unthinkable and bring Asriel back - with Frisk's help, and then eventually Frisk, too - she'd been oddly on alert, every sudden move startling her, her reflexes on hair-trigger. So when she automatically assumed the worse, like now, it threw off anyone around her - especially former monarchs.

Undyne had warned them about it when they asked about Alphys's schedule earlier in the day. "She's happy it worked," she said carefully. "But... I think she's scared of it, too, as if it'll somehow reverse or whatever. I asked her how likely that was to even happen, and even when she admitted it wasn't, she still worries..."

Undyne had trailed off, looking away and smiling a bit, trying to mask _her_ worry - and failing. "Talk to her about whatever it is that's bugging you and give her a good distraction. She's free at lunch."

Asgore said, now, "They're fine, Alphys, just... we do have a little concern."

"U-urgently?" Alphys pressed. "A-Asriel is safe, or not? Frisk?"

"Both are safe," Toriel said, her voice strong but not harsh. She placed a hand on Alphys's shoulder, and the doctor eyed her closely, as if able to check for lies. Well, Toriel wasn't lying, so she could check all she wanted.

"But," Asgore added. "You're right. It does involve him."

Alphys nodded, and with them, they went to lunch to discuss it.

* * *

They were both dressed once the pie was done, and together they went down to the basement. Asriel placed the pie on the coffee table and turned on the TV, his eyes fixing to the screen at once, even as he curled on his side of the couch. To Frisk's dismay, he had chosen the worst possible channel he could have: the one dedicated to human and monster relations and politics. Asgore wasn't the only one who found human politics interesting, but he had different reasons. Asgore watched to be amused, but Asriel watched it to learn.

The problem was not the learning, but the content, and the biggest problem was one that Asriel had once admitted himself: he was rather sensitive and prone to tears - especially now - and watching that channel affected him deeply. Frisk begged him to stop watching it, but he never did. Yet another hairshirt.

"Ugh, Asriel, don't make _me_ watch this," Frisk grumbled, dropping onto her side of the couch beside him with a sniff. "Let's just put a movie on. What about the second choice from last night?"

Asriel shook his head. "Not yet. Listen. They're talking about _us."_

"What else is new?" she wondered. She was right; the Dreemurrs were a very popular topic for humans, especially Frisk herself. Most found her strange at best and a traitor to humanity at worst for being raised by monsters and serving as their ambassador, but she didn't care. She merely made note of who was saying the crap when they said it, and remembered their faces for later on. They usually ended up shooting themselves in the foot with that, anyway.

"They're awful," he said, his eyes wide and clear, but his mouth a scowl.

"Yep, it is," she agreed. "Can we watch something happy now?"

He still wouldn't look at her, as if hypnotised by the TV. "They're calling you names, Frisk," he went on, and she rolled her eyes at that, looking away and putting her chin in her hand, sulking. "They call you a traitor, a human-hater, and-,"

"-most likely to die by a monster's hand, blah blah blah," she finished angrily. "I _know._ Movie, please?"

But Asriel shook his head, unable to look away. He was shocked, and could only see past the parts he allowed himself to see. The names angered him, but the implications - names left implied than said - were the worst.

 _Especially now._

"Asriel." He turned to Frisk, who was still sulky but also concerned. "Come on. Stop. Just put the movie on and let's just forget about that stuff for now, okay?"

He sighed and handed her the remote, and she took it.

* * *

Alphys eyed her two friends - both employers of her at some point, including the present - closely. "Okay. We have food and drink; now we need a reason," she said once they were settled, at their usual coffee place, huddled close together at a table for privacy. It was moot; despite eight years, most humans were still wary of Asgore, and they were left alone.

Toriel ran a finger around the rim of her mug slowly, her eyes distant. "I... I don't know how to even word it, Alphys," she admitted.

 _"I_ do," Asgore added. Toriel's hand dropped as she shot him a sharp glare, but he shrugged. "I _do."_

"Okay," Alphys muttered. "Someone please just tell _me_ , especially if you n-need my help."

Asgore smiled at that, used to hearing similar from Undyne, not her wife. "Sorry. Yes, of course."

* * *

"Pfft..." Frisk covered her mouth too late, unable to hide her snort of derision. Asriel sighed, and she giggled into her hand. "Why did you let me pick, Frisk? To mock me?" he wondered, eyeing her laughing face warily.

She tried to answer, but burst into laughter instead. Asriel rolled his eyes and paused the movie. _"What?!"_ he grumbled. " _What_ is so funny?!"

Only giggles were the answer; she was laughing so hard, she was leaning shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and through that, Asriel couldn't help but join in.

* * *

"Oh..." Alphys covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "N-no," she went on, her voice muffled. "Th-that's a joke, right? You-you're teasing me... right?" Her hand dropped from her mouth when she saw their expressions. "Oh... n-no jokes..."

"Right," Asgore said sadly.

"I'd hoped I was wrong," Toriel admitted, "that I was just reading too much into things, but then..." She faltered, both hands holding onto her mug tight. "It became... rather obvious, didn't it?"

"Not to me!" Alphys exclaimed. "I didn't even consider it happening, not at all!"

Asgore exchanged a nervous glance with Toriel, who nodded. "You've been, well," Asgore said gently, "preoccupied, though. Ever since this happened."

Alphys looked down, biting down on her lip to keep from answering. She thought that they had enough to deal with, and hadn't wanted to add to that. She never thought that, as her friends, they'd feel better helping her, too. "Er," she supplied unhelpfully.

* * *

"Will you tell me _now?"_ Asriel wondered once Frisk had finally stopped laughing and was brushing away her tears of mirth.

She nodded, still leaning against him. "How can you take anything like _that_ seriously. Especially someone who _knows_ magic. Isn't it weird to you?"

"It's weird to me," he agreed, raising a hand and shrugging. "But I never went to school for long, so it's interesting to me, too, despite the rest."

Frisk went quiet for a moment at that, her smile shrinking. "Oh. I'm sorry, Asriel."

He smiled at her, and she searched his gaze, worried she had upset him and he was trying to hide it - but he wasn't. "No need for that, Frisk. I'm not enraged or something." And he wiggled the fingers on his hand to emphasise this.

She laughed a bit at that. "I agree, and I've seen it first-hand."

Asriel blinked at that, before he finally got it. He shot her a look, one that wondered why she'd try to joke about something like that, until he saw her gazing at him for his reaction, hoping to at least make him smile. He did, but not because of that; simply seeing her happy was a good enough reason.

"What movie would you rather watch?" Asriel asked, and Frisk shook her head. "This is fine," she replied.

So, they resumed watching, Frisk staying where she was. Both were painfully aware of each other the entire time.

* * *

"Undyne," Alphys finally sighed. "She told you I was upset."

"Who else?" Toriel agreed. "She cares, Alphys, just like we do. Would it kill you to admit when you're upset?"

When Alphys blushed, Asgore was the one who sighed. "That's not why we told you this, Alphys, not the main reason. We told you because... because..." He looked at Toriel for help, waving a hand, and she took over. "Because you care about both of them, too. Obviously." she finished.

"I do," Alphys admitted. "Why else would I help?" She looked up. "How _can_ I help?"

Toriel looked at Asgore this time, and he nodded. "We want to know..." he began, but he ended up looking away with a cough, so Toriel took over with a tender smile: "...can it work?"

Alphys blinked quickly, not expecting that. "Y-you _want_ it to work?" she asked, obviously thrown.

"More than anything," Toriel admitted softly. "More than I've ever wanted anything - other than my son back. Now... I just want his happiness."

"And Frisk's," Asgore added when he could. "Of course. We weren't sure about her until... this morning."

"Now we feel ridiculous for not seeing it sooner," Toriel added. "But then, I often wonder if _she_ even knows."

* * *

When Asriel took Frisk's hand and tangled their fingers together, she smiled, squeezing his hand in reply, though neither gaze left left the TV. However, despite the ruse on both sides, it was clear that both had their attention barely past themselves.

Frisk's heart was racing, and she blushed, worried that it was loud enough for Asriel to hear. She wondered, if he did, what he thought was the cause. She wondered if he worried she was afraid or hurting again. Worst of all, she wondered if she should pull away her hand.

Asriel's own heart was taxing him, but he could hear hers, and he did wonder those things - even the last one. He didn't dare move his eyes away from the screen, though he desperately wanted to. He wanted to look into her eyes, see what she was feeling, to see if it was the same thing he felt. When she squeezed his hand again, he allowed a small seed of hope to blossom deep within his soul, the longer they kept their hands together, the more hearty it became.

* * *

"Take it from someone who knows," Alphys said kindly. "If she has even a half-degree of doubt, she'll keep it to herself. But she knows. She probably doesn't want to make a mess. That's... h-how I usually feel..." She trailed off, and Toriel patted her hand gently, which helped her relax.

"So, you figure, she's waiting?" Asgore wondered. "Waiting to see if it's the same for him? Or otherwise?"

"No," Alphys replied. "Frisk is an ambassador, has been one almost half of her life, now. All she really knows is how to please others to keep peace between them, herself always coming last. It sounds selfless, and it can be, but... I think she assumes that she's alone in this, and in order to keep that peace, she must stay silent."

Toriel looked down sadly. "So even if she found out, knew it all, and confirmed it, she still wouldn't admit it to herself?"

"No," Alphys repeated. "She knows, but she wants to keep the peace, and not just within the family. Can you imagine what kind of chaos that could happen over this?"

* * *

When the movie ended, neither could move, too scared to. They watched the credits in silence, and when it went back to the menu, it was Frisk who said, "Next movie?" Her voice, however, was distant - strained - and when he finally looked at her, he saw that she was upset.

He paused, then asked, "What's wrong?" He tried to smile, squeezing her hand as he said it. "The movie makes you that mad?"

The moment he squeezed, she looked down at their hands, swallowing hard. She expected, every time, to be appalled by the sight of their hands braided, but every time, all she felt was tender warmth, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. And _that_ made her angry - at herself.

"Frisk?" Asriel said gently, watching her get more and more mad at herself. "Are you okay?" He paused, then blurted out, before he lost his nerve, "It's not the movie at all, is it?"

"No," she admitted without thinking. "I'm mad at myself."

"Yes, but why?"

Frisk shook her head, but not at his question. "It's nothing," she said. "Nothing at all, Asriel. Don't worry, I'm okay."

Asriel couldn't help it: he glared. "Yeah, you certainly look okay, and sound it. A perfect example of dandelion-dandy, aren't you?"

But she didn't laugh, didn't even smile like he had hoped. Instead, she shut her eyes, biting down on the inside of her cheek to distract herself - but that didn't work, either. By now, she was shaking, hovering over that precipice, unable to make the decision she knew she now _had_ to make, either one that doomed to cause pain to someone she had tried to avoid causing any pain to for so long, or bring potential chaos to everyone else. But to lie? To keep lying? And to Asriel?

To purposefully hurt Asriel, when all she wanted was the exact opposite for him, and had spent almost half of her life trying to gain for him?

Or herself? What about the peace she fought to gain for herself?

"Frisk? Are you alright or not?"

She looked up at him without control and found him already looking at her. She swallowed again, looking like a panicked kid caught in a bear trap, and Asriel was now getting worried. "Frisk?" he repeated, and with little to no thought, his other hand reached up and touched her cheek gently, staying there. Her face was hot, as if she burned with fever, but her eyes were clear. They searched his, and he saw not fear, but a mirror - and felt like such a whelp for not seeing it sooner.

Frisk reached up to pull his hand away, but instead covered it with hers and closing her eyes, leaning into his palm, unable to help it. Her brain was now allowing her heart and soul control her body, and they agreed on what she wanted.

So, wordlessly, Frisk leaned close, kept her gaze on him, and kissed him. His eyes flared and he froze, and she shut her eyes, pulling away immediately - until he pulled his hand from her cheek to place behind her head, gently leading her back. Her eyes flared this time, giving her a split second, before he kissed her.

This time, neither pulled away.


	3. Strong

**Chapter Three: Strong**

Somewhere, between here or there, sans stopped, his left eye twitching. With a long sigh, he turned around and went the opposite direction - having an actual destination, now.

* * *

For several long, wonderful moments, Frisk allowed herself to dream, to enjoy her selfishness, to allow herself to actually _feel_ , instead of burying it away as usual. Logic screamed at her to stop, but the rest of her gave her default thumbs-up for things like this. Her whole body felt hot, as if she sat in the noonday sun and the height of summer. By now, Asriel was holding her face with his hands, and she had reached up to keep him there, her hands on his forearms tight.

Asriel had no idea what he was doing, both logically and theoretically, so he just followed Frisk's signals and tried to make the best of it. He wasn't naive, and years spent alone or with others had given him much insight in life, but when it came to applying the lessons learnt, he just let instinct take over. He knew that when it came to Frisk, his instincts would always come through. The fact that Frisk was kissing him back, and holding his arms still, told him he was right.

Wasn't that why they were kissing in the first place? _Anything else,_ he thought, _can go to hell._

However, Frisk was her own worst enemy, and she pulled away before things could go too far with no return. The blood left her face at once in shock, and Asriel was startled by this sudden reversal, feeling dread gnaw at his gut.

"Asriel," she blurted out, sounding out of breath. "I'm so sorry. _I'm so sorry!"_ Her hands dropped from his arms, and it left him feeling chilled. She darted backwards, stopped only by the couch arm, and she almost tripped backwards onto the floor from it.

"No, Frisk-!" He tried to grab her hand, but she was too quick for him, and easily was off the couch and on her way upstairs before he could. "No, wait-!" he pleaded, but she didn't stop. He scrambled up after her.

Frisk made it to the front door and had it open before she even had her shoes on, but someone was already standing there in the doorway, grinning. She froze, confusion rooting her there.

"nope," said sans, reaching up to place a hand on her shoulder. "nope!" He smiled wider, his grip strong enough to keep her in place.

"But-!" she protested, squirming to get free of his grip, but he held her there with almost annoying ease.

 _"nope!"_ was his answer, loud enough that it finally startled her out of her panicked haze. She stared at him, and he stared back, his pinpoint eyes sharp - but bright. "sorry, frisk, but nope."

With that, he gave her a push back into he house and shut the door - with him still outside.

Frisk stood there, confusion leaving her in place, her eyes still wide and staring at the place where sans had been when the door was open. "Wait," she stammered. "sans?"

"yep, but it's still nope!" was the reply from behind the door. "and i'm staying right here until you fix your problems, kiddo. no running away."

"Frisk!" Asriel had caught up to her, but his eyes were on the door, their colour dark with worry. He had heard sans's voice and, as a result, his hands sparked with embers. Now she was staring at Asriel with that same confused look. "What does the bastard want?" he snapped, directing his words at the door.

 _"nope!"_

"For the love of..." Frisk was holding her head in her hands, her eyes shut. She considered herself a master of problem-solving, especially quickly when on her feet, but this... this had thrown her into a wild loop. She was desperate to run - both sans and Asriel had gotten that right - but she was also very obviously trapped.

She didn't understand it. sans had kept his distance for most of her recovery, the only contact from him various emails or letters to the Dreemurrs, especially Toriel. Gradually, Toriel accepted his mail and graduated to texts, but neither Asgore nor Frisk could get past the letters. This was the first time sans had visited New New Home since she had come back from the hospital, hence the potent dose of confusion she now had to swallow.

"i said _nope,_ frisk!" sans replied. "no running away. you're an adult, and you can't do that anymore."

She glared at the door, her fingers now tangled in her hair. "I... sans, I wasn't-!"

"liar."

 _"Get out of here,"_ Asriel snarled at the door, but he refused to open it, still skittish around sans - he wondered if he always would be - and wary of letting him into the house. Once he heard what sans was saying, however, his hands cooled and his glare softened - just a bit.

"i will, once i get frisk's word that she's not a coward."

 _"I'm not a coward!"_ she growled at once, less to get rid of him and more to convince him. Asriel turned to her, and she was already looking at him, her cheeks finally getting colour back. She was clearly irritated - and embarrassed. "Damn," she finished, lowering her eyes and her hands.

"you're worse than alphys sometimes, communicating through doors via shouting."

"Shut up or I'll slap you, too!" she immediately shot back, not appreciating the comparison less for the person used, but the implication: Alphys, too, sometimes ran from her problems. She also had the habit of yelling at people she was mad at from behind a door - something sans knew all too well. "Go away, please!"

"okay, i will. _if_ you're not gonna run."

Frisk bit down on her lip, shutting her eyes. She wanted to run, very much so, still, feeling it as if she _had_ to run, but the more she thought about it, the more stupid she felt. She really had acted like a child, treating Asriel the way she did. Her eyes opened at that thought, meeting his warily, but she didn't see rage there, or hurt - just confusion and worry.

It grounded her, and she turned back to the door. "I won't run," she answered honestly.

There was a pause, before sans said, "good. i'm going to grillby's. see ya, kiddo."

And as suddenly as he had shown up, he was gone.

The moment they were sure he was gone, Asriel shuddered, unable to help it. When she asked, he said, "He still scares me, and I'm still pissed off at his part in your injuries."

"Me too," she agreed, finally relaxing. She kept his gaze, feeling hot shame fill her. Her head lowered, though her gaze did not. "Asriel... I really messed everything up, huh?"

"No," he said at once, meaning it. "But you would have, I think, if you actually had managed to run away." He blushed, reaching up and scratching the back of his head. "This is confusing, and I'd rather you were here to talk to me about it. I'm... oddly glad he was there."

"I'll say," Frisk muttered.

"Too late, I already did." Asriel said it with the proudest grin on his face, so obviously happy that he could finally make a joke was actually funny - at least in his opinion. Frisk grinned at him (it was funny to her, too, after all), then moved to stand in front of him, her hands already reaching up-

-in order to start scratching behind his ears. "Sorry," she explained, still grinning. "I've always wanted to try this."

Asriel's reaction was one she'd never forget for as long as she lived. His face instantly relaxed, his eyes closing halfway and his shoulders lowering down from around his neck in stress. He smiled, a silly smile, one that grew the longer she scratched, and he let his arms go limp at his sides.

Frisk snorted, then laughed, still scratching at the soft, short fur behind his sensitive ears, and he sighed in response - not a sigh of exasperation, but of content, his eyes closing, now.

"I found buttons!" she laughed, unable to help it.

"Uh huh... sure," he mumbled, leaning his head forward and tilting it to one side, so that she'd focus it, before switching. That had her laughing so hard she got a stitch in her side, and she had to pull her hands away to keep herself on her feet. He was already adorable to her, but this? This was wonderful.

The moment her hands left, he opened his eyes, then blushed, his whole body going hot, and he stumbled back, staring at her with wide eyes. Catching his expression, Frisk barely had taken a breath before she dissolved into laughter again. He stood there, now at his full height, looking annoyed and disappointed.

"That's not fair," he complained. "Your ears are small and barely register anything. I can't do the same for you!"

When she could, she answered. "True, and I swear, if you never want me to, I never will again, but..." She grinned, giggling again before going on. "I _had_ to try it at least once. Please don't be mad."

Asriel sighed again. He wasn't mad. He was conflicted; he had always wanted her to try that, too, and had been too shy to even discuss it, let alone ask. The fact that she had done it randomly was confusing, but then, that was Frisk: never typical.

"Frisk?"

"Yes?" she smiled at him.

He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, muttering, "Go ahead..."

Frisk clapped once, like Toriel usually did when she got her way, before her hands were back, only this time, when he leaned forward, he touched his forehead to hers. The reaction he got from Frisk doing this - rather than anyone else - probably shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did.

 _You know why_ , he thought to himself, letting both her touch and her laughs wash over him, allowing both to soothe his nerves, and noticing just how much better he felt for doing so.

He jolted back to reality when he suddenly felt Frisk kiss him lightly on his nose. His eyes opened at once, and she stared back, her eyes clear - and glowing. She pulled her hands away slowly and took his hands into them. Her smile was different - not as teasing.

"Come on," she said, tugging at his hands. "I'm not running away, and sans isn't coming back. Let's watch the last movie, distract ourselves with it, and then we can... well." She blushed a bit, looking down. "I should be calm enough to talk through this with you."

Asriel gave her hands a gentle squeeze and nodded, wordlessly following her back down to the basement, still holding his hand.

* * *

Frisk's plan was a good one, but it ultimately ended up backfiring, and quite a bit. About a third into the movie, Asriel fell asleep again, his head resting on her lap and the rest of him buried under blankets. Once she noticed he was sleeping, she sighed. Seeing him like this, she knew that they likely wouldn't be able to discuss what had happened - and how they felt - until likely the night or the next day. It was frustrating to her, but it was no use. Asriel was an insomniac, and she knew better than to wake him up once he'd finally gotten to sleep. So she watched the rest of the movie while he slept, eating chisps with one hand and stroking his ears lightly with the other. If anything, she was likely to blame for his falling asleep in the first place; therefore it seemed silly to complain about it.

Because the movie was a favourite of hers, Frisk was so absorbed by it that she was surprised when she heard Toriel and Asgore come home. Asriel, however, slept through it, something he had never done before. Frisk paused the movie and tried to wake him up, but instead of doing so, he just cuddled closer, so she gave up and grabbed her phone from her pocket.

 _Basement. Asriel's asleep,_ Frisk texted to Toriel as fast as she could, not wanting to worry her. She had noticed the footsteps were rather fast walking in, and she wondered if they had smelt sans, hence the hurry. They did slow once Toriel got it, however, so that was good. However, when both Toriel and Asgore came downstairs, _that_ made her nervous.

Before she turned around, Frisk threw a chisp up and said, "Go left!"

Asgore immediately darted forward into the room and grabbed it in his mouth. "Fanks," he replied cheerfully. She turned around then and smiled, and her parents smiled back, joining her where she was sleep-trapped. Toriel had tried to speak, but Frisk shook her head sharply, pointing to Asriel as her explanation for silence.

Toriel, however, surprised her; she knelt down in front of them and gently shook Asriel awake. He muttered a bit before burying himself back into the blankets and going back to sleep.

"Ma-," Frisk started to protest, but Toriel was already trying again. _Now_ Frisk was worried, and she bit her lip, silencing herself to keep from adding to whatever bad situation they were now in.

"Yeah, yeah," Asriel mumbled, slowly pushing himself up to sit up, scratching at his head with his eyes closed. "I'll eat more, I promise..." Then his eyes opened and fell on his mother, then his father, and he was instantly awake. "Uh," he said, unable to elaborate, the surprise rendering him speechless.

Frisk was now blushing, unable to help it. Asgore was staring at her in a way that made her do so, as if she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. She hated that feeling, and refused to ever associate it with Asriel. Asgore's gaze was rather searching, and they both knew she would never lie to them if she could help it, so it made her uncomfortable.

"M-Mom," Asriel said carefully, not liking how sad Toriel's smile seemed, especially when she looked at him. "You okay?"

"What's happened?" Frisk added, sounding both angry and concerned, if such a thing was possible.

Asgore and Toriel exchanged glances. While it wasn't as bad as they had feared, it was still a little awkward, and Asgore shifted, looking uncomfortable, now, as well. Toriel looked back at her children and saw, behind the confusion and slight embarrassment, there was something newer there, something barely seen but close to the surface. Seeing it, she smiled.

"Both of you, do relax," she commanded. "Nothing has happened." It was true, after all. "But we would like to talk with you."

Asgore nodded, adding, "Come upstairs for some tea with us, won't you?"

Frisk winced, looking away, but Toriel caught it. "No, Frisk, neither of you are in trouble, and no one else is, either. Tea will be ready in ten minutes."

Once they were back upstairs, Asriel tried to bury himself under the blankets, only this time entirely. He, too, was feeling conflicted over this, as if he needed to be ashamed but because he wasn't, he was wrong. He would rather just not deal with it and pretend to be laundry for a while. Frisk, however, snorted at his attempt and yanked the blankets off onto the floor.

"Do you really think we're not in trouble?" Asriel wondered, looking at her.

Frisk threw a chisp at him in reply. (The chisp landed in the pile of blankets and vanished, to be found only by ants far into the future.) "We didn't do anything wrong, Asriel," she chided gently - though she knew she was also talking to herself.

Still, Asriel hesitated. "Are you sure we're not doing anything wrong?"

"I... don't know," she admitted hesitantly. "The timing is really suspect, though, don't you think? I wonder if sans told Ma something."

Asriel scoffed at that, surprising Frisk. "Not if he doesn't want them to turn on him."

"Why would they?"

He smiled deviously. "Because they're still mad at him. That's something I remember really well from childhood: Mom holds grudges and Dad tries to make peace by silence. They could easily turn it around on him."

Frisk nodded, having noticed a similar pattern. "Well, we still have time. I could still run away." It was a joke, but Asriel didn't find it funny, and he just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "That was a joke!" she insisted.

"Oh yeah, you can tell by my uncontrollable laughter," he replied, though he sounded a bit more relaxed than before. "Let's go get this over with, shall we?"

Exactly what she was thinking.


	4. Relief

**Chapter Four: Relief**

"Really?" Frisk wondered.

"Really," Toriel agree with a smile.

Asriel was also doubtful, but he was quiet, his gaze going between his parents and Frisk. He couldn't think of anything to say to it, quite yet. It was unexpected.

"But..." The practicality that Frisk always held within would not let her stay silent, even if her heart was soaring. "If something goes wrong, and the whole thing goes to the ground-,"

"-then we'll give it a proper burial," Toriel broke in sharply. "We're not living in the times before the barrier was put up, Frisk, or even shortly after. There will be no talk of ridiculous things like courting, or dowry, or any such nonsense. I barely had the energy to deal with my own. I would never subject that to my children."

"Plus," added Asgore, "it'd all go to the same source, anyway, should that be the way things go."

Both Asriel and Frisk blushed at that, but Frisk was smiling, staring into her mug in disbelief, but also feeling her heart racing with excitement. Toriel and Asgore had sat them both down and immediately lectured them both on the pros and cons that a relationship - serious or not - could impact those around them. It had only been a half-hour, but the lecture felt longer, somehow, and therefore Frisk wanted to make sure she understood it completely.

"And again, if it goes the other way?" Frisk asked, finding herself unable to let it go. As she said it, though, she reached over and grabbed Asriel's hand into her own. He looked down and stared at their hands, unable to look away, his face showing deep thought.

Toriel and Asgore both sighed, exchanging a wary glance. "You're still our daughter, Frisk," Asgore said. "No matter what. Just like Asriel is our son, no matter what."

Asriel looked up at that, his eyes wavering. Toriel caught his gaze and smiled warmly, but even when he tried, he couldn't smile back. He wanted to, but just couldn't, though it took him a moment to realise why, only coming to it by chance: He didn't want to consider failure, at all. He didn't want to think about it, even. He'd waited eight whole years for the chance to even hold Frisk's hand, and he knew his feelings well enough, but now he was being told to think of the worst?

Asriel knew Frisk was being her usual practical self and not doubtful of their relationship, but the fact that she'd even asked made him feel odd about it. Was he the only one doubtless? And if so, was that a good thing? Or bad?

Toriel was watching Asriel closely the entire time, making sure he could only tell when she wanted him to. She could see he was hurt, and when she did, it hit her just how much her boy was in love with Frisk - and she'd underestimated him a great deal. She regretted that, but there was no going back, now.

Asgore had his chin in his hand in thought. "Is this something we need to go public with, do you think?"

"Yes," said Frisk.

 _"No,"_ said both Toriel and Asriel.

To their credit, no one was jinxed for that, but perhaps it was less of a good thing and more of recognition of a deeply serious topic.

Asgore was staring at Toriel as a result, then at Asriel. Both looked surprised that they agreed, but it didn't last; Toriel had answered for both the family and for Asriel, himself. She saw how he reacted to countless newscasts about humans and monsters, how he took it all deeply and personally, and she refused to subject him to more of that if she could.

Asriel felt the same way, only not just for himself, but for Frisk. While Toriel easily assumed that Frisk's skin was tough enough to deal with anything said to her, Asriel, of all people, knew so much better, having been able to get beneath that skin for many years, now. He knew she wasn't infallible.

Frisk was frowning at both parents, but not Asriel. Rather, she understood _his_ protests, but not Toriel's. Sensing how tense he was, Frisk squeezed Asriel's hand gently, and he was able to relax a little bit at that, but still his thoughts ran rampant anyway. Even when he tried to stay grounded with her touch, still his thoughts betrayed him.

"Why not?" Asgore wondered. "It would mean openness and honesty, and no chance of anyone misunderstanding the situation."

"But, Gorey, there's too much that those reporters can do _with_ that information, as opposed to their having ignorance," Toriel countered. "We've already dealt with so much recently... Need we more?"

"But, Mama," Frisk protested. "We have nothing to hide. Secrecy does nothing but make us easy targets. Better to be open and honest than secretive and aloof, don't you think? Once the truth does come out, it just gives them more ammunition to hurt us with."

Asgore looked at her with a small, proud smile, finally seeing the adult politician he had helped grow her into - and without the taint of easy corruption or lazy apathy. She was one of the few that actually cared, and it showed.

"I agree," Toriel said. "But I must still insist on no. Not yet. Not until you're both more comfortable." She shot a look to her husband, who cleared his throat and added, "We do know firsthand what happens when people are given free reign with this kind of gossip."

"Papa!" Frisk protested at once. "You and Mama just said that times are different, and need I remind you, the situation is, as well?" She paused, and Asriel was the one to squeeze her hand this time, giving her strength to go on. "I know you consider me a monster, but I'm not, as much as I'd love to be. Both of you are monsters. But I'm human, and I would be with a monster. It's different... more complicated."

Asriel kept quiet, unable to form any kind of words other than the ones he had already said.

"She's right," Asgore said. "We have nothing to hide, after all."

"No, but it's still too soon to subject either of you to the kind of scrutiny that will come with this," Toriel snapped.

Frisk sat back at this, pressing her lips closed, clearly angry. Her hand was twitching within Asriel's, but she choked that anger back. Anything she said probably wouldn't even be heard at this point.

Asriel, however, at seeing this, finally found the words to speak. "It's ridiculous," he muttered. "I forget sometimes how stupid things like this end up. No matter how many times I see it."

Frisk glowered at him at once. "Tell us how you really feel, Asriel," she shot back.

"Okay," he replied. "I will. It's no one else's business. If they find out, who cares? Like you said, we have nothing to hide-,"

Frisk shifted a little in her seat, and he shot a glare back to her. "We don't," he insisted, squeezing her hand to emphasise this point. "But we don't need to act like _they_ do, make events of things that, really, they don't even need to know!"

Frisk eyed him closely as he spoke, but said nothing. She kept her face carefully blank, but she'd yet to learn to mask her eyes with him, and he could tell she was irritated. He stared back, allowing his own expression to be as open as hers.

Asgore sighed, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his coin purse, just as Toriel held out her hand to him with a sly smile. In silence, their children watched as Toriel collected on whatever bet she'd just won with Asgore.

"Ugh, you two..." Frisk rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, just a bit, now. "You barely change."

"We're too old for such nonsense," Toriel agreed with a spark in her eyes.

Asgore replaced his purse with a slight sulk. "Instead, I get poor while no one else changes, either."

"Hey," Asriel protested. "I've changed!"

Frisk snorted, giving his hand a squeeze. He turned to her with a scowl, but she grinned in return, leaning closer to him. "Have you?" she wondered.

"You of all people know I have, Frisk!" he answered, unable to keep from replying, despite her tone. She could hear in his voice a slight note of desperation, and Frisk realised he was being sincere.

"I do know, you're right," she agreed. "But you still have that..." She waved her hand in the air, trying to find the right word.

"Sass," Toriel supplied easily, and Frisk nodded. "Though he had that a bit as a child, I will admit that."

Asriel was surprised by this. "I did?"

Asgore coughed to keep from answering, but Toriel laughed. "Just a bit,"

"I wonder where he gets it from..." Asgore added, giving Frisk a wink, which she returned.

Toriel glared at Asgore, having heard that. Wordlessly, she cupped her hand around his teacup and sniffed. When it was boiling, she pulled away with a satisfied grin on her face.

Asgore couldn't help but smile at her. "Tori, you know that just proves my point, right?"

Frisk chanced a look to Asriel, who noticed and blushed a bit; her smile was so bright it made him shy. "Should I expect that from you, too?" Frisk wondered, teasing.

He couldn't help it; he smiled back. "Who knows? Act like an idiot enough times and find out."

Frisk laughed. "Too bad I'm already used to it."

Asriel leaned forward, his grin devious, and Frisk's eyes danced. "Not from _me,_ " he corrected.

"I've spent eight years avoiding your attacks," she replied. "A little over-boiled tea is nothing compared to 'friendliness pellets.'"

At that moment, suddenly, there was no one else in the room but Frisk to Asriel, and Asriel to Frisk. With each exchanged barb, they leaned closer and closer to each other, wearing similar grins of sarcasm as well as amusement.

"So it would be better to chuck things at you every time I see you?"

"I'm used to that, after all."

"And if it ends up being fire instead of pellets?"

"I'll make sure I have marshmallows."

Asriel made a face at that. "I hate those! They're sticky and get into everything, especially fur! You know that!"

Frisk snorted. "Won't stop me," she replied. "If anything, I'll just make sure you get covered in it, too."

 _"That's gross!"_

Frisk was finally close enough, and her free hand darted forward, landing right between his left ear and horn, scratching at once. Suddenly Asriel forgot where he was and proceeded to melt, gazing at Frisk with unmasked adoration at this, even when Frisk laughed in triumph. He didn't mind losing this way - especially to Frisk.

With a dark look, Toriel handed her won gold back to Asgore, who was chuckling happily.

Frisk noticed. "How many bets have you placed on us?!" she demanded, automatically scratching behind both of Asriel's horns now, his hands limp and in his lap, now a grinning puddle. "And why can't we get in on it, too?"

"That's enough about bets," was Toriel's sharp reply, and Asgore had to cough to cover up more laughter at this. "We still need to make a decision." She gave her daughter a long-suffering look. "Do let him come back to the ground for this, dear."

"Aw, but..." Frisk hesitated, then let her hands drop into her lap, instead. Asriel blinked slowly, then blushed, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away - though he was smiling, and his eyes were warm.

"I still side with Papa," Frisk admitted.

Asriel snorted and muttered, _"Grit!"_ under his breath. She merely grinned at him, not rising to the obvious bait. He'd been trying for years and had yet to do so, but he wouldn't stop trying.

"Alright, so we've come to an impasse," Asgore said. "That's okay. We can spend this time by testing the waters on either side, while you two... just be you." He shrugged a shoulder and this, unable to keep a smile from his face. "And if they find out, fine. If not, also fine."

"Leave it to chance, Gorey?" Toriel wondered dryly, and he scratched his cheek but didn't reply. "That makes me worry we're just waiting for trouble to turn into chaos."

"Which is why I think we need to go public," Frisk insisted.

Asriel's smile had by now faded, and he lowered his head, looking into his empty teacup. In their mirth, he'd allowed himself that distraction, but now he rather regretted it. They were back to the biggest problem, the one that seemed to lack any real solution. Toriel caught his eye and looked at him kindly. She understood, and it was a comfort to him.

"I think, until he know for sure," Toriel said now, "Asgore's plan is the correct one, leaving it to chance, I mean. It does tend to be the best decider."

Asgore looked delighted at being right, even just a little, and he nodded. "It happens sometimes, my being right, doesn't it, Tori?" he wondered happily. "Even if it's so tiny no one else notices. It happens."

"So we leave it to chance, but what do we do in the meantime?" Frisk asked. "Hide, or treat it as a real relationship, media gossips be damned?"

"Like your father said: be you. Do what you need to do, and be honest with yourselves, first." Toriel's eyes met Asriel's, before she added, "Then, we can make a final decision based on that. Nothing needs to change all the way in one day, you know."

"I know," Asriel admitted, surprising both Frisk and Asgore, unaware that he was, in fact, the target of Toriel's words, now. "I'm just..."

Frisk turned to him, eyeing him so closely that he blushed again. "What's bothering you?" she asked gently.

Asriel hesitated. "I just... don't want to bring you guys aggravation thanks to news-whores-,"

"Language, Asriel!"

"Well, Mom, it's what they are!" he said hotly. "I hate how they are always just around every corner with their damned cameras and their bullshit grins."

When Toriel over-boiled his tea to chastise his casual use of foul language, he stared at her. "Mom, why? They're just _words."_

"Coming from you, the one who is so worried about how people perceive us, know how important language can be, and is," Toriel snapped back. "Perhaps think of your words before worrying about cameras."

"She has a point," Frisk added. When Asriel scowled, she nodded. "And you know it, too, which is why you're cranky."

"Alright." Asgore held up a hand and had their attention immediately. "For now, we'll keep it quiet. But if asked, don't deny it, but always be honest. I think that's the best compromise we can come to."

Asriel sighed, but nodded. "Okay, you're right, Dad," he finally admitted.

"Like I said, it does happen," Asgore agreed.

Toriel had her cheek in her hand. "Well, alright, I can agree with that for now. At least until you both are more comfortable."

Frisk suddenly went scarlet, her face lowered. "Do I... have to move out?" she murmured. She was staring at her hands, her fingers digging into her knees. She didn't want to move, but could also understand why if she needed to.

However, her parents gave her an almost-identical expression of disbelief when hearing this. "For goodness' sake, Frisk!" Asgore protested at once. "No! You're welcome here, no matter what!"

"And, really, if you think you need to, maybe you should think hard on why you feel that way," Toriel added coolly. Frisk went scarlet and looked down again, and Toriel smiled thinly. "I know you're smarter than that, my dear."

"Sorry," Frisk replied, unable to look up, now.

Asriel was confused, however. "Why would you need to move out? Why is it so strange to have you here? This is your home, you idiot, and has been since the barrier broke! Just because I'm here doesn't change any of that!"

Frisk smiled at him so warmly, he felt warmth blossom deep within his breast in response. "You're right," she finally agreed. Then she looked at Toriel first, then Asgore. "And you're both still on board with this? It's okay if Asriel and I...?"

Toriel reached across and placed her hand atop Frisk's head, the touch instantly soothing "Frisk, dear, it's wonderful, and more than just okay. We promise."

Asgore nodded, his eyes wide and his smile wider, before he coughed and muttered something about laundry, hurriedly getting to his feet and going to the laundry room.

"He's so happy," Toriel explained softly. "He loves you both so much, and only wants you to be happy, regardless. It's all I want, too."

Frisk smiled shyly, her hands shaking a bit. "Same, for you - and Asriel, of course." She looked over at him and found him already looking at her, his expression both shy and hopeful Unable to help it, Asriel reached for her hand, and she took it without any hesitation.

"Mama," Frisk said, unable to look away from Asriel, now. "This can work, though. Right?"

Toriel nodded and said the best thing she ever could have. "That's up to you, my dears."

Frisk grinned. "Challenge accepted," she quipped, and Asriel grinned back.


	5. Enough

**Chapter Five: Enough**

The rest of the evening went as usual, save a certain air that seemed to permeate around all four of them, a kind of relaxed feeling that came with airing out a lot of verbal laundry and finding solace from the results. Dinner was pleasant, and when Frisk invited Asriel for either movies of gaming (both chose gaming), they both spent a rather wonderful evening taking turns kicking the digital crap out of each other. It was wonderful.

It was only at night, when Asriel found himself the last one awake, and no amount of pacing or thoughts of Frisk could calm him, that things started to seem overwhelming. He thought about going to Frisk, to talk to her about it, but something stopped him - fear, though of what, he wasn't sure.

Instead, he went for a walk.

* * *

The small, tinny noise of an urgent alarm woke Undyne up first, who reached out blindly towards it and snarled, not even knowing what she was reaching for - just as long as she grabbed it to silence it. Alphys woke up to _that_ , before she caught sound of the alarm - and that woke her up instantly.

"Where...? Where...? _Kill it!"_ Undyne was growling sleepily, still looking. Alphys found her phone and turned the alarm off, and Undyne looked up at her with a blurry gaze. "Thank you."

"I have to go Underground," Alphys answered, already reaching and throwing on the closest clothes she could find, already awash in fear but refusing to back down. "That was the Waterfall alarm."

Undyne was awake at once. "Alphy," she said, sitting up, her eye bright. "What do you need?"

"Don't know," Alphys admitted. She looked on Undyne, who was now getting to her feet, and she stopped her. "Stay home," she added with a small smile. "I may need back-up. Keep your phone close."

"Alphy-," Undyne looked worried. "Let me come with you?"

Alphys smiled, for real this time. "You can if you want. I just think I need a head-start for this one."

"Why? Who is it?"

Alphys's smile turned grim. "Someone I'd never imagine seeing there."

* * *

Once his feet had touched the surface, Asriel vowed that he was done with the underground. The sunlight, the fresh air, the weather... it was all too beautiful to hide from anymore.

As he walked, he avoided well-lit areas, making sure that the shadows stretched long enough to keep him from casual view. He had hoped once he was outside he'd feel better, but instead, he felt trapped, as if the open spaces were closing in on him, and he felt intimidated at once. The moment he felt it, he turned and went to the nearest checkpoint to the Underground - the one near Waterfall. He showed his new ID and expected trouble, but he got none, which was surprising, to say the least.

When he was Underground once more, he found himself conflicted. He knew _where_ he was going, but he didn't know why. As Flowey, Asriel had gone where mostly to mess with the echoflowers, especially around Frisk, but now? Now, as he made his way through them, not touching or talking to any of them, he still didn't know. Instead, he looked up at the glowing crystals that had served as stars for so long. Now that he'd seen real stars, he could see just how cheated they had all been with these pale imitations.

Asriel cut through the bulk of Waterfall by using the Bird, who looked wary carrying him but did it anyway, despite a rather dropped landing. He then went past the Blook's farm and down to the dump. He still had no idea what he was doing, but he walked on. He used to hate the dump as Flowey, as he couldn't search the place himself - no hands - but even now, with hands, still he did not stop to search. Instead, once he had finally stopped, he found himself on the water tiles that faced the abyss.

Asriel was surprised that he had stopped, and he edged as close as he dared, peering down at the rushing waters with a sense of confused fear. He dug his toes into the muddy bottom, his eyes widening the longer he stared. He didn't know how long he stood there staring, but it was apparently long enough, because the next moment he remembered was of a voice, saying rather sharply, "What a-are you d-doing here?!"

Asriel started and turned towards the voice in shock, finding Dr Alphys standing there behind him, looking tense with worry. "Dr Alphys?" he said. "What... _How_ did you even know?"

"Alarms," she replied, holding up her phone and shaking it a bit as proof. "Old habits die hardest. Why are you here?"

Asriel bit his lip and shook his head, then turned back to the abyss. "Just confused," he admitted. "Needed some fresh air... or something... why do you even care?!" he snapped suddenly, angry at being found in a vulnerable position, and especially by _her._

"Because you love someone I love, too," Alphys replied easily, walking over to his side. "And I'd hate for you to do something done in stupidity to hurt her."

"I'm not _you_ ," he answered, taking a step back. "I wouldn't jump!"

Alphys eyed him closely, sceptical of this instead of insulted. He'd hoped to offend her enough that she'd leave, but it apparently only did the opposite. "I know you aren't me," she said dryly, "but that doesn't mean you wouldn't."

He glowered at her. "Could you just shut up and leave me the hell alone?!" he snarled, losing his temper at last.

"I can do the first, but no, not the second," she replied. "If you tell me why you're here, maybe I'll do the second." She paused. "Is it... Frisk?"

Asriel looked away, baring his teeth at that. "You can't always blame Frisk for my problems."

"True," Alphys agreed. "But she's a major part of your life, Asriel - especially now."

He paused, then looked down at her, his eyes narrowed. "You... know, don't you?"

She was going to pretend otherwise, but the look in his eyes stopped her, and she nodded. "Y-yes."

He eyed her, looking for any kind of judgement or opinion, but all he saw from her was nervous concern. It confused him. "Why are you here?!" he demanded yet again.

"The abyss is rather beautiful, don't you think?" she answered, walking closer to the side and peering down. She smiled, and it was a sad gesture, the claws of her feet digging in hard for added balance. "Especially late at night."

"Doctor..." he grumbled, but she didn't look at all phased by his tone. She was staring down at the rushing water, that smile increasing the longer she looked.

"Especially alone," she continued, "with a full mind. It looks like the only answer at moments like that, doesn't it?" Her voice was soft.

Asriel was bemused for a moment, until her words finally clicked together. "You... you think I'm going to _jump?!"_

She said nothing, not did she look at him.

"Doctor, are you _nuts?!"_

"Mm," she said. "I remember the word was 'depraved', wasn't it?"

He blushed at once, then scratched at his cheek, annoyed. "Look, about that... the things I said..."

Alphys looked up at him. "They could only be said by someone who knows, Asriel."

His mouth went dry at once, and he tried to swallow, to form a protest, but she was right.

"Twice I came here to die," she told him, her eyes not leaving his; they looked both agonised and frustrated, something he recognised in himself. "Twice I was given a reason not to. Frisk has no idea you're here, does she?"

Asriel hesitated, then nodded. "I didn't know how to word it," he admitted. "I didn't know how to explain how I feel when I get this way, when I feel so trapped and confused."

"Why not just say that?" Alphys wondered. "S-she knows you've had these kinds of... t-tendencies, doesn't she?"

"She knows everything about me," he agreed, smiling a bit at the thought. "Except how I sometimes... get like this."

"And why are you like this, Asriel?"

He hesitated, his eyes going back to the rushing waters below them. "Because when something good happens, I don't deserve it, and need to make up for it."

Alphys was silent at that, for so long he got nervous and looked back at her. She looked contemplative and sad - so very sad.

"You deserve it, Asriel," she said finally, again looking up at him. "Because Frisk does, too, and she can't be happy without you."

Asriel snorted at that, though his heart hurt a little at the thought. "She'd be fine."

Alphys reached up and grabbed the back of his shirt tight, as if worried he was about to jump. It startled him into stepping back, and once he did, she relaxed. She was glaring at him, however, her fury so potent it could almost be felt. "You can't decide that for others," she said tersely, her grip on his shirt tight and strong. "Only _they_ can. You have no idea how much she cares about you, do you?" When he hesitated, thrown by this, she sighed and looked away.

"I-I know she cares!" he protested, unable to hold his temper again. "I _know_ she cares a-about me!" But even as he said it, he felt a wave of fear, of doubt, and he stopped.

"I said _how much,"_ Alphys answered, her grip now so tight he could feel a bit of claw. "And no, you don't know, do you? If you did, you'd never of come here!"

"Meaning _what?!"_ he snapped, clenching his fists at his sides. "I know she cares! What else is there?!"

Alphys searched his gaze sadly. "A lot you'd rather ignore than admit, huh?" She let go of his shirt and instead touched his arm gently, smiling just a bit. "Go home, Asriel. Before you scare your family into early graves."

"Doctor...!"

"Just Alphys," she corrected at once, her hand dropping. She smiled a bit more, pulled her phone back out, and, before he could even blink, pushed a few buttons on it before aiming it around him. There was a loud, grinding noise from the depths, and from them came a grated fence, completely closing the abyss off up to the tiles. It rose up as Alphys grinned and Asriel gaped.

When it was finished, Alphys's grin was almost maniacal, and she turned to him and added, "Go home, would you?"

She turned, waved, and made her way back through the dump, stopping every once and a while if something caught her eye, before vanishing towards the Blook farm. Asriel stared after her, realising just how often he had misunderstood her - and how, despite the myriad opportunities to do so, she had never used it against him.

Asriel hesitated again, but when he looked back at the abyss - and its still-wet fence - he suddenly felt like a childish fool. Without another glance, he followed, going back the way he came - and then back home.

* * *

Frisk was in his room when he got back, furious. She sat at his computer, arms crossed over his chest, looking sleepless and hurt. He stood in the doorway, wondering how often this would happen - if he let it. The moment he shut the door behind him, Frisk was on her feet and hugging him tightly, so tight that he felt his resolve crumble, returning her hug just as tight. He shut his eyes and tried to swallow his tears - but failed.

Frisk didn't care. She knew, and instead of saying anything, simply reached up and gently smoothed the longer hair from his forehead, hoping the gesture would ease his hurt. "Where did you go, and _why?"_ she demanded softly.

Asriel winced, shutting his eyes, feeling the tears run free. "Doesn't matter," he murmured into her shoulder. "I'm home now." And he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. "I'm sorry. I'm home now."

Frisk felt her anger soften, sensing genuine regret in his words - and his actions. "Okay," she said. "But I want the full story in the morning, okay?"

"Wait..." Asriel noticed she had started to pull away, but he tugged her back, and she blushed a bit, surprised by the fact that not only did he want her to wait, but she did, too. "Can you... can you... stay?" he added, his voice barely above a whisper.

Shock flashed through her, her eyes going wide and her heart racing, completely misunderstanding. "Uh, Asriel... I'm not... I'm not-,"

Asriel jumped back, holding his hands up, now as red as she. "No! Not in _that_ way!" he stammered. "I-I mean... stay, and talk with me? About... everything?"

Instantly, Frisk relaxed, though she was embarrassed that she'd assumed so much automatically; she knew he wasn't like that. (Maybe Toriel had a point about looking inward, after all.) To apologise, she grabbed both of his hands and pulled him back into a hug, one he melted into. "Of course I will," she agreed. "We have a lot to talk about, after all."

For a long moment, he held onto her close, and she did the same, both sighing, unable to help it. Frisk giggled a bit at that, and Asriel smiled, his eyes closed. When she pulled away, she kept her arms around him, and he blinked at her, surprised. She looked conflicted though why, he didn't know.

"Asriel," she said, her voice soft. When he nodded, she said, "Before we talk, can you...?" She blushed, then looked away. "Uh, nevermind."

But he understood, and before she could move away, he tugged her back and placed a hand on her cheek, which made her smile warmly. He couldn't help it - his heart was racing, unable to believe it all sometimes, the fact that he could touch her, hug her, make her laugh and smile just by looking at her...

"Ask," he whispered - pleaded - pressing his forehead to hers, and she closed her eyes, her own heart speeding up now. "Kiss me, please," she whispered back. And he did. It was perhaps their first real kiss that wasn't interrupted or stopped too soon, and while it was a bit awkward, both adjusting to each other as well as new sensations and feelings, it was also wonderful.

When she placed a hand on his chest and pushed gently, Asriel pulled away slowly, not wanting to but knowing he likely should, judging by his body's reaction. With their eyes closed, they stood, foreheads still together, as they both caught their breath and allowed their feelings to rule, just for that sweet moment.

Once they were both calm enough, Frisk opened her eyes to find Asriel's already on her. She smiled. "Still up for talking?" she asked gently. He nodded, and she pulled away, going to sit at his desk, only to be stopped when he didn't let go of her hand. She blinked at him, and he smiled, pulling her with him when he sat down on his bed. She blushed, but sat next to him, resting her had on his shoulder and slipping her arms around his waist. Her lack of hesitation surprised them both.

"Want to start?" Asriel offered, but she shook her head, so he cleared his throat carefully. "Okay, I will. I... the talk about this not working out, you and I... it really upset me." Frisk lowered her eyes, clearly wanting to say something but instead let him go on, which he appreciated. "I went for a walk and... thought about it all." He sighed. "I wish I could be like sans, knowing everything all at once."

Frisk snorted at that, surprising him, but she didn't elaborate, instead waving a hand at him to continue.

"I really want this to work, Frisk," he blurted out at once, "because I... because I..." He choked on his words, unable to help it, feeling as if his blood were on fire. Frisk sat up, concerned. He lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and just growled the rest out. "I adore you, Frisk." He shut his eyes, terrified of her reaction. "I have for so long, I can't imagine, can't even picture anyone else in your place. I never want to. There's no room for anyone else but you. I... love you, Frisk."

Frisk stared at him, her heart soaring. Wordlessly, she leaned close, grabbed his face, and kissed him again, this time with a different degree to it, a kind of fervour, an intensity that neither had experienced before. It took his breath away, so much so that when she pulled back, he was speechless, his eyes wide but so full of emotion.

"Asriel," she murmured, her eyes bright. "I love you, too. You don't have to worry about that, ever."

His eyes filled with tears and he bit down to try and stop them, but he only ended up sobbing as a result. She pulled him close, and he cried into her shoulder, so relieved that he felt like he could faint from it. Frisk held him close, smiling bright through her own tears, her heart a blissful vapour within her breast.

The tears left Asriel exhausted, and he was starting to doze off sitting up when she nudged him awake. He mumbled something, and she pushed him into bed. He curled up at once, eyes closed, and she buried him in blankets like she knew he liked.

However, when she started to leave, he grabbed her wrist, the hold strong. "Please... stay? N-not that way, but..."

She smiled. "You sure you can sleep, with someone else here?"

He nodded, his eyes still closed. "The only time I know I can sleep for sure is with you here, Frisk," he admitted, both to her and to himself.

That had her tethered at once, and without another word was snuggling beneath the covers with him. He was instantly in her arms, his arms wrapped around her waist and his face buried into her shoulder. She leaned closer to get comfortable, resting her cheek against his soft forehead, before reaching up to gently stroke one of his ears. He sighed deeply and was asleep in ten minutes - maybe less - looking the most relaxed that she had ever seen him look.

Frisk stayed awake for a while after that, simply watching him sleep, before she felt herself pulled into slumber after him. Neither had nightmares that night. Just gentle, warm dreams of each other. Of reality.


	6. Sing

**Chapter Six: Sing**

When Frisk woke up with a sneeze, it took her several moments following to understand how or why. It was only when she heard Asriel's soft, almost silent laughter that she understood, and started laughing, too. It was a nice way to wake up, especially when she knew he'd slept through the night, as she always woke to his nightmares, even in the next room – but hadn't that night.

"What was I on?" she wondered, sitting up and brushing the tears from her eyes. Asriel smirked, and she froze, before she glared. "You—!" When he laughed again, she attacked him, reaching with agile fingers to tickle him mercilessly. She'd learnt that he was ticklish when she'd been in recovery, and now could finally use it. Therefore, when his laughs turned high-pitched and uncontrollable, she laughed again, too, until that was all she could do.

(From their room, both Toriel and Asgore awoke to this, Toriel with surprise and Asgore with a smile and misty eyes. "If that's how they wake up every time," said Toriel dryly, "we'll never need an alarm again.")

When they both managed to calm down, Frisk turned to Asriel and said, "Gonna tell me where you went last night?"

"Only if you tell me why you were in here when I get back."

"That should be obvious, shouldn't it?" Frisk raised her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes, and he blushed, nodding. "So go ahead."

Carefully, Asriel went over what he was thinking when he went to Waterfall, and she listened, her eyes on his the whole time, and sombre. When he told her about what Alphys had said – and thought – Frisk interrupted. "She wasn't wrong, though."

He hesitated, then looked away. "Not totally, no."

She was upset, but she nodded. "It's okay. Go on."

He did, and once he finished, she hugged him tight, only this time she was the one who buried her face into his shoulder and held onto him. Asriel was surprised, until she said, very softly, "You said we'd talk about it after dinner." He nodded, so she went on. "When you weren't here, and I couldn't find you, I was too scared to leave. I was afraid I would either find you... or never find you at all."

Asriel bit down on his lip hard. He hadn't even considered that happening at all. The very idea of Frisk that hurt, it hurt him, far deeper than the overwhelming things he felt the night before.

"I... fucked up," he admitted, his voice wavering.

Frisk shook her head. "No, not that way, not like that," she corrected. "Next time, instead of going to Waterfall alone, just take me with you."

"But I was conflicted over you."

"And yet when we talked it over once you came home, didn't you feel better?" she pressed, poking his chest with one finger, making him smile a bit

Asriel nodded. "Yeah. Way better." Frisk raised her eyebrows, and he smiled wider. "Okay, point taken." He hugged her again, unable to help it, and she of course returned it. Then he said, "Guess we should get up for work?"

"Yep. No excuses today," she agreed, pulling free and sliding carefully out of the bed, expecting Floor Pie – and finding two. She grinned and pounced on one, and Asriel stared at the pies – and her – in bemusement. "Why do _I_ have floor pie?" he wondered.

She held it out to him, with her mouth already stuffed, and he dropped to the floor next to her, taking it. When she resumed her happy eating, he followed suit – and blinked in surprise, unable to keep from smiling. It was what Toriel always referred to as 'dessert pie'.

"Why did I never have Floor Pie?!" Asriel demanded between quick bites.

Frisk almost choked on hers at that. "You said no!" Which was true; Toriel did ask him, and he got so flustered that he said no – the exact opposite of what he meant – and was too embarrassed to fix it. Now, he didn't have to.

It was a perfect way to wake up.

* * *

The day began normally enough.

"PLEASE?" Papyrus begged _again_. "I ASSURE YOU, IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE, PRINCE GARDENER, AND YOU DO OWE ME AT LEAST ONE FAVOUR, IF I RECALL."

Asriel didn't bother turning around. Instead, he dropped the shovel and pulled over a sapling wrapped in cloth at the roots, heaving it into the new hole with a grumble. He wasn't as strong as he'd like to be – especially compared to Asgore – but he still wanted to be someday. Asgore assured him that landscaping was made for muscles, and at times like these, lugging around small trees, he could see why.

"No," Asriel said easily, not even looking at Papyrus as he worked. He carefully cut the cloth free of the roots, making sure he didn't even nick one tiny one, pulling them free with careful fingers and his tongue sticking out in concentration. Once the cloth was free – as were the roots – he tossed the cloth aside and began to brush soil over them gently, a bit at a time. He knew, with visceral memory, just how much it hurt to have roots cut or pulled.

"BUT KING GROUNDSKEEPER DOESN'T MIND –,"

"Dad doesn't mind anything," Asriel interrupted shortly. "And wait, what was that bullshit about _me_ owing _you?!"_ Satisfied, he stood up and gazed at the sapling for a moment, making sure it was level, before nodding at it. Then he turned to the Captain with a scowl. "Don't you dare bring up—,"

"—THE FANCLUB? WHY NOT?"

Asriel went scarlet, looking around and – happily – finding no one around to overhear. "Don't say that in public again!" he growled out, his eyes blazing. "The less people know about it, the better!"

"BUT—,"

A bright blue spear cut them both off, landing right at Papyrus's feet. Asriel jumped back, tripping on the shovel and landing hard on his rear, but Papyrus sighed and looked towards the source. Undyne was storming across the garden, holding another spear ready, her face furious. When she reached Papyrus, he simply held out his hand, and she grabbed it, dragging him away at once – sparing Asriel a brief smile and wave – before vanishing across the yard, lecturing Papyrus on "harrassment of Asriel" and "neglecting the dumbass kids."

Asriel scratched his head, then got to his feet slowly, turning back to the sapling. Carefully, he moved around it in a slow circle, pulling off dead leaves and branches and eyeing the rest for possible damage and disease that he may have missed before. When he was again satisfied, he picked up the discarded cloth and tools and went back to the shed, ready for the next task.

But he found Frisk there, instead, standing there with a finger to her lips and her grin mischievous, her eyes shining. He barely got a word out before she pounced on him, giving him a breathtaking hug.

"Wait, Frisk, dirt?" he protested, noticing that her clothes were work-pristine and thus easy to mess up. In response, she wiggled closer, and he laughed, unable to help it. "What are you doing here?" he wondered, resting his cheek on her hair.

"Lunch!" she declared, looking up at him with that grin. "Up for it? We can get noodles!"

Asriel sighed at that; she always knew his preferences and how to use them. He wondered if he'd ever get as astute as she as she was with him – and then decided he would work on it. "Okay," he agreed, feeling a tug of pure happiness. "But it's my treat."

Frisk scowled. "Why? I pick, I pay."

"Who made up that rule? It makes no sense, and besides, I should pay because..." He pulled back and waved at her now-muddy clothes.

She looked down, surprised, then laughed. "We match!" she replied. "Let's go!" She hooked her arm around his and pulled him away and free from the shed – and he of course followed. He would follow her anywhere.

* * *

The noodle place – a place called Kenzo – was crowded for lunch, so they took their seats away from the door in order to avoid any kind of recognition, as well as in order to have some kind of privacy. It was a place that started out human-exclusive but soon became owned by a human and monster partnership, since then becoming one of the most popular integrated places in the area. By now, most places were, save niche or specialty places, and one or two medical practices and clinics. Frisk loved seeing it, loved seeing how humans and monsters could finally mesh together and actually _live_ together, like this. It made her proud of her place in it. And it gave her hope.

Asriel was watching her watch everyone else as they ate, the longer time went, the warmer he felt – and it wasn't just the spicy noodles he had ordered, either. She looked so happy, so _proud_ , of just being in a place like this, being able to see a mini-harmony around her, that he couldn't look away. He didn't want to, anyway.

"Good?" Frisk asked suddenly, her eyes now on him, and he nodded, unable to speak with his mouth full. She smiled warmly and reached over, placing her hand on his free arm. "Good. Mine is, too. Wanna try?" She held up a rice ball dumpling to him, and he blushed, swallowing the food in his mouth before he finished chewing it, nodding. He bit down, and the flavour was so amazing that it surprised him. He almost dropped his chopsticks, and she laughed, catching them at once.

"That's amazing!" he said, his mouth still full. He reached for it, and she gave it to him. "Can we get more?"

Frisk burst into laughter and pushed her plate towards him. She still had three left, and once he finished the first one, he took a second, delighted, unable to resist eating it right away. "So good!" he added, his voice muffled.

She was still laughing, her hand covering her eyes. "Asriel, you..."

He looked up, not noticing the bits of rice now decorating his chin and cheeks. "Mm?" It didn't help matters; Frisk was now laughing so hard she had to bury her face into her arms on the table. He blushed but took the opportunity to grab another one, practically addicted, now.

Asriel was still blushing when she looked up with teary eyes and a red face, and when she noticed the rice on his face – mostly stuck in his short fur – she giggled, leaning towards him and gently brushing the rice away. He went scarlet and tried to hide his face into his shirt, but she refused to let him, instead placing her hand on his cheek. His expression softened at once, especially when she smiled bright at him.

"I'll order some to go," she said, earning her another delighted smile. "Which should be now." She held up her wrist and he jumped, surprised; lunch had gone by in a blink of an eye. He started to get up to pay, but she shoved him back down and went up herself, also ordering the extras and getting his spicy noodles wrapped up for later as well.

Asriel watched her, chin in hand, barely able to concentrate on anything else. When she came back with the parcel of noodles and onigiri with a grin, he got to his feet and hugged her, and she laughed, hugging awkwardly back, accidentally hitting him with the carton as she did so – which made _him_ laugh.

It was the perfect lunch. One, it turns out, they would need.

* * *

Once her lesson wrapped up, Toriel turned to Frisk and smiled. "Did you have a good lunch, my dear?"

Frisk grinned, getting up to collect the papers she needed to grade, as Toriel packed away her notes and textbooks. "So much fun, Ma," she agreed. "Turns out he loves onigiri."

"Really...?" Toriel sighed, wrinkling her nose. "Which kind?"

Frisk's smile turned devious. "Salmon."

"Oh, no, not him, too." Toriel sighed with a hand to her cheek. When Frisk cackled in delight, Toriel managed a small smile, but it was of course a touch strained; she hated salmon, almost as much as Frisk hated snails. "Must you corrupt everyone with human foods?"

"Yep!" was the easy – and predictable – reply. Toriel looked over and saw that, though a bit muddy, Frisk looked the happiest she'd seen her look in a very, very long time. It was seeing her this way that made Toriel finally and completely accept that she had been right, and that Frisk and Asriel together was a good thing. Often, she worried about something going wrong, but seeing the change in both of her children... with that, she allowed herself to finally relax.

"Howdy!" Asgore knocked on the classroom door, looking thrilled to see them both. "Ready to go home yet? Asriel's just finishing up one of the hedges."

"Oh, no," Toriel sighed. "Did Papyrus finally beat him down?"

Frisk was already at the window. The moment her eyes fell on Asriel, she started laughing so hard, she grabbed onto the sill for balance.

Papyrus was indeed instructing Asriel on how to 'fix' the hedge-self that always greeted everyone at the entrance, and Asriel was complying. But instead of teeth, Asriel was giving the grassy Papyrus more _eyes_.

"Well," Toriel said, unable to hide a waver of mirth from her voice. "Muffet will like that."

Asriel, when finished, turned and grinned at Papyrus, who looked conflicted. "WELL," he said slowly, "I CAN'T SAY IT LOOKS _BAD_ , AS IT'S STILL _MY_ FACE, BUT..."

"Good. I'm out." Asriel dropped the hedgeclippers and walked past him, still smirking. Papyrus stood closer, eyeing the monstrosity as if it were a new kind of art. Trust Papyrus to see art in _anything_.

Frisk was crying by the time he reached them, her phone out and snapping shaky pictures of the whole thing. Asgore was also laughing, mostly at Frisk, so Toriel was the only one able to greet him with more than a wave.

"Good work out there, my boy," she said cheerfully, still trying to swallow her laughter – and failing each time.

It was a good end to a good day.

* * *

As they walked home, much of the conversation lay on the next day. Frisk had to attend a meeting with several of the local politicians, a meeting that looked promising – something about relaxing bylaws, which would in turn provide allowances for monsters and humans who wanted to work – and live – together.

"They're so stupid," Asriel grumbled. "Humans and monsters have been living together for years."

"No, you dingbat," Frisk chastised with a smile, giving the hand she held a shake. "They're concerned about local romances."

"Hasn't _that_ been going on for a while, too?" he wondered. "I seem to remember you telling me so last year, at the very least."

"Yes, but not _legally_. Just not... illegally."

"Think about the barriers Undyne and Alphys had to face just to get married – and they're both monsters," Asgore added. "There's probably dozens of people living together right now interracially, but now it's time to look at it with legal ramifications instead of just social."

"Right," agreed Frisk. "That includes benefits, wills, marriage and divorce, and eventually, the rights of any children born."

Asriel's eyes widened. "Children?" he echoed. "Is that even possible between humans and monsters?"

"Well, no, not without magic," Toriel said. "And humans don't have magic. So it would be biological – or a hybrid with magic – which could cause some conflict."

Frisk nodded, her eyes sombre. "Monsters having children make humans nervous enough. Imagine how much more that would increase if humans and monsters did, too?"

"Is that... is that why Alphys and Undyne don't have children?" Asriel wondered, sounding shy.

"No," Asgore replied, surprising the rest of them. "Not at the moment. Both are quite content, but that could change, of course. For now? It's just preference."

"Huh," Frisk blinked. "Well, in any case, as a human raised by monsters, and the ambassador to boot, they of course need me to clarify several things." She chewed on her lip for a moment before adding, "And hopefully getting this law passed."

Toriel eyed her daughter closely. "Which law?"

Frisk smiled up at her. "To marry, of course." (Asriel's hand jerked within hers in surprise.) "Why should there be any naysay to it? Love is love, Mama. The Underground knew that. Let's teach them the way things _should_ be."

"You're gonna get shit for this, Frisk," Asriel muttered, though he was now clutching at her hand tightly.

"What else is new?" was her cheerful reply.

Both ended up being right.


	7. Storm

**Chapter Seven: Storm**

Asriel was distracted the entire morning the next day while Frisk was gone. He dropped too many things, ruined a hedge beyond recovery, over-watered some of the flowerbeds, and got so mad at himself that he hid in the shed, both to clean his tools and cry out his anger. He hated that Frisk had to deal with what she did on her own, and all he'd wanted was to go with her.

They'd discussed it before going to bed. "Please let me go," he begged. He sat on her bed as she paced, scribbling out last-minute notes she wanted to make sure she would make.

"I'd love for you to go," she admitted, "but you can't. It's too soon."

"What does that even mean?!"

"It means you've barely even come back as yourself, let alone as someone involved with me in the way they're already afraid of," she answered shortly. "It's not even public yet, you and I, remember?"

Asriel looked down, angered by this but unable to argue – it was true. "But, they see me as your brother, so why would it be strange?"

Frisk stopped, knelt in front of him, and placed her hands on his shoulders gently. He gazed at her, already feeling the tears rush up into his throat, and she placed a hand on his cheek gently. "Trust me," she said gently. "No matter how it goes, you'll never be from my side again. There'd be no reason for it."

"Frisk?"

"Yes?" She was smiling, now.

He reached for her, and she leaned in close. They kissed, the kind that speaks deeper than any words ever could, the kind that means more than any other gesture. It was so intense, so deeply felt, that it was only by chance – Frisk's phone's alarm going off to remind her of the following day – that they broke it. Both were breathless, not wanting to stop, but also knowing they had to. It was still too soon.

Almost.

"Asriel," Frisk said, her voice raspy, but she was still smiling.

"Yes?" he said, his eyes closed, trying to catch his breath and calm down.

"I love you, okay? Don't forget that, no matter what happens tomorrow."

Asriel tried to remember, tried to call on that to calm him. He tried, he did so very hard, but it obviously wasn't working. Why else would he be weeping in the shed, alone, full of doubts and fears?

He didn't know. But by the tie he had left not only the shed, but the school, he knew. And he also knew that everything else could rot.

* * *

"Dreemurr, we understand your position, but..."

There it was: that damnable 'but', the single word that always negated the words before it. Frisk was very tired already, having heard it more than five times by now, and hearing it a sixth time made her frustrated. They claimed to understand her, claimed to actually get what she was saying, yet regardless of logic, still they refused.

"...as of right now, it's far too soon to consider marriages between humans and monsters."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm her temper. If she lost it, she knew she'd also lost everything she'd worked for. "What about those who have already become partners, practically common law in the eyes of the law?" she asked carefully, opening her eyes to the row of mostly apathetic faces (the rest read pity). "What about those who also plan on having children?"

"We can't extend the laws to them at this time."

"Despite years together? They've earned those benefits, the rights that everyone else takes for granted." Frisk's voice was sharp, but not acerbic. Thankfully.

"These things take time," one politician in particular, Carlson, was saying. She always had trouble with him, and now was of course no exception. "It took time for us to allow marriages for monsters. We can only go so far as the populace—,"

"The populace is already far ahead," she cut in shortly. "You're the ones stuck behind. I seem to recall friends of mine having to fight for _months_ for the license they had the _legal right to_ already."

Silence met her words. Frisk didn't care by now. She'd lost most of her temper, but not control, so she went on. "And now, finally, we have a true sign that monsters and humans can and _will_ live together in harmony. This is happening _now_ , and to ignore it – to punish them – is exactly the wrong thing to do!"

"You mean like you, Dreemurr?"

Frisk started, turning back to Carlson at once, a flash of anger bringing red to her cheeks and ears. "Meaning what, counsellor?" she snapped.

He smiled at her – not a nice gesture. "We all know how you grew up."

"Which I make absolutely no secret about."

"We also know of a recent addition to your... family. A son, to your parents?"

She felt fearful, now, not a feeling she was used to. "Yes. My brother, Asriel," she answered carefully. She didn't like how he was looking at her.

"Your brother, you say? Or your _lover?"_

Frisk lost her temper at once, completely. "Carlson, you cross a line!" she growled. "And you have no idea what you're talking about – as usual."

"Ambassador." Someone else – a woman named Toole – spoke up, looking embarrassed. "There are several sources online of you and your... brother... acting rather... intimately...

Frisk went cold at once. She suddenly knew exactly what they meant – and realised how obvious it must have looked. _The lunch yesterday_. _Of course someone saw us!_

Suddenly, she heard her father's warm voice. _Don't deny it. You have nothing to hide._

She stood up straighter and met Toole's gaze right on. "Yes," she answered, amidst that annoying murmur that only comes with gossiping politicians. "You're right. Asriel and I are together."

* * *

Asriel hated travelling, especially in public. He always made sure to put his hood up and his hands in his pockets, hoping to hide what – and who – he was as much as possible, but it didn't always work. He kept his eyes lowered, refusing to meet anyone's gaze, despite feeling dozens of eyes on him. He wished he were invisible.

If he knew _why_ , he may have changed his attitude a bit, from wary, to perhaps defiant. But he didn't know yet.

It wouldn't be long until he did.

* * *

"Then this entire vendetta you have is personal, Dreemurr," Carlson was saying above the murmur, still wearing that gross smile.

Frisk smiled back, only hers was acidic. "I brought this up years ago. It's only now that any of you bothered to consider it. My personal life has nothing to do with it, nor should it change the fact that we still need these changes. You're _years behind,_ counsel."

"Dreemurr," Toole broke in sharply. "You can't deny a personal hand in this, now. We now have to take all you say in the same way. You understand, don't you?"

 _"No,"_ Frisk answered hotly. "And the fact that you expected me to proves just how blind you all are."

There was a brief outrage at that – save from two people: the mayor, and her deputy. Frisk kept her eyes on them, trying to calm down but finding it one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do in her life. She wasn't always this way, not at all, but this time – and maybe they were right, maybe it _was_ personal, now – she could no longer control her feelings.

The mayor, McCallion, held up her hand, and everyone eventually was quiet. She exchanged a look with Crombie, her deputy, who nodded slowly. Frisk allowed herself a flicker of hope.

She was naive.

* * *

Asriel finally made it to the municipal building, awash in both nervousness and fear, both of the reactions of the humans as well as for Frisk. Would she be angry? Relieved? He kept himself hidden all the same, but he listened at the door – he knew which one because he could hear Frisk's voice, but not the details of her words, yet – and finally stopped, pressing her ear to his door.

And the more he listened, the angrier he became.

* * *

"Ms Dreemurr," McCallion was saying carefully, looking rather uncomfortable as she spoke. "We understand your passion, and your desire for peace. But with recent things coming to light, we cannot help but see a personal aim to that passion and desire."

Frisk's heart fell. "But I've been pushing this before Asriel even came back—,"

"And now you're directly affected," was the answer. "With a personal stake in these proceedings, you can no longer be seen as anything but biased"

"When I wasn't, you wouldn't listen!"

"But now you are," Carlson repeated, wearing that ugly smile. "Though we'd expected this eventually from one such as you." Crombie and McCallion shot him a warning look, but he ignored them. "The fact is that you've been biased from the start. Ever since you came through the barrier with your monster friends in tow, you've been biased. Nothing you've done or said has been impartial. You've always sided with monsters."

Frisk glared at him, her heart burning with rage. "Say it, councillor," she dared between her teeth.

"You are a monster, ambassador."

The room immediately erupted, in both protests and agreements. Frisk saw only red, her eyes shut and her teeth bared. It was a gesture she'd picked up from Asriel.

Because in many, many regards, they were right: she was a monster. And she saw no shame in that. Yet she knew they meant it cruelly, as if she were a traitor to her birth race – and perhaps she was, in their opinion, the biggest traitor of all.

But she was still the ambassador, and always would be, no matter how they tried to make her otherwise. She was the only one who could be. But what did it mean to _be_ ambassador, truly? Help pass laws that make it easier for the rest of the world – except herself?

"The fact is, Mayor, that we're the international laughing stock this generation has ever seen," Carlson was shouting over the din. "We're seen as monster-loving fools! If we allow marriages to happen, it'll make us look like bigger fools!"

"Oh please," another councillor – Saito – said with a roll of her eyes. "They said that about gay marriage, too."

"And on that I still say –,"

" _That_ subject is closed," snapped Crombie before he could go on.

"Yet monsters get those rights, too?"

"Why should they not?" Saito sighed impatiently. "They had those rights when they were trapped."

"If we extend marriage laws to include humans and _beasts –,"_

"No!" Frisk shouted, slamming her fist on the podium. "That's not what they are!"

* * *

Asriel was about to burst into the room when he heard Frisk shout, and her words stopped him in his tracks. The passion in her voice, the _hurt_... he knew she could handle it, as much as he wanted to help her.

* * *

"They're not _beasts_ , any more than we are!" Frisk shouted, control of her temper long gone, replaced by red-hot, indignant rage. These wre her friends, her family, her _people_. "They're people, just like us! You're too ignorant to see the truth right before you, and I pity you for it, all of you!" She glared, especially at Carlson. "You have no idea at all, how wonderful they are, because you choose to stay in your boxes, your ivory towers..." She shook her head. "It's going to happen with or without you, counsel. Will you be progressive enough? Or will you simple be ignorant, idiotic fools?!"

Her words met silence, and she was glad; she knew she was done. With a final glare, she gathered her notes and turned to leave the podium. "By your leave," she muttered, bowing, before turning and practically running from the room, the doors slamming behind her.

And she stumbled right into Asriel.

"Frisk—," he whispered, placing his hands on her shaking shoulders. She stared at him, her eyes blazing and full. She looked blindly at him for a moment, before her eyes finally cleared and focussed on him.

"Asriel?" she whispered. When he nodded, she grabbed him, so hard his breath escaped him in surprise. It was the tightest hug she had ever given him, and he hugged back, closing his eyes.

"They know about us," she murmured into his shoulder.

"I know."

"They won't... they won't..."

"I know."

She sobbed once, between gritted teeth, and he reached up and did something he'd always wanted to try, and stroked her hair slowly, loving how it fell through his fingers and felt so smooth and staticky all at once. She sobbed again, dropping her papers and clinging to him tight. "Asriel..." she whipered, in a voice he'd never heard before.

"Frisk, it's okay," he whispered into her ear, and she shivered. "It'll be okay."

"Asriel..." There was that voice again.

"Yes?" he answered carefully, peering down at her. She looked back at him, her face red. Her eyes searched his, and suddenly he felt warm – too warm – by the way she looked at him... it was almost as if she were...

She kissed him, hard, in a way he'd never been kissed by her before, echoes of it stirring his blood and making his mind hazy. She clung to him, desperately now, and he almost stumbled from it, but he didn't pull away, nor did he let go. He felt that desperation awaken his own, and he couldn't pull away – not now. Maybe not ever. He didn't even want to.

"Asriel," she whispered again, against his lips, in a voice that almost made him utter a noise – not words, but purely vocal – in reply. "Please... take me home."

"Frisk, of course, but..." He stared at her, seeing so much more in those eyes, an all at once he understood, feeling his whole body go white-hot in shock – and mutual desire. "You mean... _take_ you home?"

She nodded, her eyes fierce now. "Yes," she agreed. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Asriel."

"B-but... it's not... we can't..."

"I don't care if it's legal or not, Asriel. I care about _you_ , about _us_. If you're not ready, I-I understand, but—,"

Asriel kissed her to shut her up, to prove her wrong, and she melted into it, unable to think of anything else.

Once they could, they broke apart and, hand-in-hand, raced home, not once thinking of the chaos they left behind them. Instead, they focussed on the chaos ahead.

* * *

It wasn't at all the way either expected. It was a flurry, a rush, a frantic clutching of clothes and removing those clothes, of kisses and hot hands and desperation. They barely spoke a word, save their names and their love for each other. Everything else was a blur, of need and passion, and by the time naked flesh met naked flesh, there was nothing else between them, first emotionally, then literally. By the time they were locked in Frisk's room, words were long gone, replaced by gestures and kisses, hands and hearts, caresses and touches that brought deep sighs – and sharper cries.

It was awkward at first, adjustments to body types and differences making it so, but once they realised the differences were merely semantic, it didn't take long for them to finally connect. Asriel's eyes stayed open as much as possible, though it was hard, and Frisk held him close, leaning down and kissing him every chance she got, her movements bringing him to her mercy beneath her. She only stopped when she came, resuming once she knew he was close – and then he came, too. She kissed his cries to her, unable to resist, and she closed her eyes, losing herself at last.

Asriel was in a haze by the end, stroking her hair gently as she rested atop him, warming him better than any blanket could. She kept her face in the crook of his neck, trying to catch her breath, just as he was. When she started shivering, he pulled the blanket over her, and she slipped her arms around his waist, sighing deeply in gratitude.

"F-Frisk," he murmured, sounding as though in a dream. She nodded, biting her lip, almost afraid of what he'd say next. Was he sorry? Did he regret it? Did she push him too fast?

"I love you so much," he whispered, sounding drowsy, now. She smiled, relieved, finally able to close her eyes, not realising she was crying. "I love you too, obviously," she whispered back, nuzzling his neck to emphasise this.

"I feel... like everything I've ever dreamt of... has come true."

"Me too," she agreed. "With you."

"What... do we do now? What do we... say?" He was drifting off, as was she, but wanted to finish talking, first.

"Whatever comes," was her sleepy reply.

They curled up closer, finally two halves whole, and slept, forgetting their shared despair and disappointment in one beautiful, sweet moment.

But the storm hit anyway.


	8. Drowning

**Chapter Eight: Drowning**

Frisk awoke to the feel of Asriel stroking her hair. For a moment, she had no idea where she was, just that wherever she was, Asriel was there, too. She could feel him beneath her, still, his soft skin against hers and his arm around her waist, her legs hooked around him. Her cheek rested against his chest, and she could hear as well as feel his heart racing, despite the calm, soothing gesture. She sighed deeply, curling closer, and she felt him laugh.

"Looks like _I've_ found a button," he murmured. She tilted her head up a bit and saw him, actually focussing on him. He looked sleepy, but his eyes... they shone. She had been so afraid to awaken to regret – hers or his – but could only see happiness, one she felt deep within herself, washing away any pain – physical or emotional. When she smiled in her relief, he reached up with both hands and pulled her face down to his. They kissed, a kiss of something new, of something deep and wonderful that had just begun. It grew, and soon Frisk felt that heat flash deep within her again, and she held onto him tight. When she pressed close, he shut his eyes and whispered her name against her lips, igniting her blood at once. When again they were linked, she, too was saying his name, and again, she let herself go.

* * *

"Have you seen Asriel?"

Toriel looked up to find her husband in the doorway before her afternoon class was due to begin, looking concerned. She'd been at her desk, but the moment he came in, she stood up seeing that worry on Asgore's face. "You haven't?" she asked.

"Not since this morning," he admitted, rubbing his chin in thought, bemused. "Do you think he went out for lunch?"

"Not alone," she said. She thought for a moment before her eyes focussed and the blood left her face. "You don't think he—?"

Asgore's eyes widened just as he concluded the same thing. "I do, and would bet on it, too." His hand was already out, and she grabbed it, her other hand texting one of the supply teachers to quickly cover her. Once confirmed, hand-in-hand, they went on their way towards the municipal building, where they were sure now both of their children were.

* * *

Breathless, Frisk slid down to Asriel's side, shaking, her eyes hut and his name still on her lips. He held her close, pulling the blanket up again before a chill could catch them. She curled up against him at once, one hand over his chest, the other curled under her chin. Asriel rested his head on hers, also in a similar state, barely able to catch his breath.

"Asriel..." Frisk whispered, her eyes closed. He nodded, but she just said it again. He opened his eyes and nodded, and again she repeated it. He leaned down and kissed her gently, and she sighed, kissing back sleepily, her hand moving from his chest and reaching up to scratch behind one of his ears. He broke the kiss to rest his head on her chest, eyes closing and smiling widely, wrapping himself around her like a blanket, himself.

When he was almost asleep, and she thought that he was, she whispered, "I'll never let anyone hurt you again, even if it hurts me..."

He blinked in shock and looked up at her to protest, but she was the one sleeping, now, her hand heavy against his head. Unable to help it, his eyes filled, and he curled up against her, relishing in the sensations and hoping never to forget any of them – and vowing the same for her and she did for him.

* * *

"The motion didn't pass," Toriel said, repeating the words slowly. "Not even for those already common law?"

Asgore nodded, looking oddly small as he said it. "And Frisk left once she knew. And in anger. But that's not all."

"How can there be more, Gorey?" she sighed, resting her head in her hands. They had found Frisk's discarded notes and gathered them up, and now they sat on one of the benches outside of the meeting hall.

"They know about her and Asriel," he added sadly. "Yesterday, they went out to lunch, and people filmed them. It was rather obvious."

"Damn," Toriel whispered, closing her eyes.

"So they accused her of a personal vendetta – pure nonsense!" Asgore grumbled, leafing through his daughter's notes without taking any of the words in.

"Do they know where she went?" Toriel wondered.

"Well..." He shifted uncomfortably. "That's the problem, Tori. Asriel was here. They left together."

Toriel eyed him closely, then started. "We have to go home!" she cried, but Asgore stopped her.

"That's exactly what we shouldn't do," he said gently, though his eyes were sad. "I understand, Tori, I really do, but... we need to stay away. For now. They need to work it out."

Toriel looked away, her eyes blazing. "But... They're my babies, Gorey..."

Asgore placed a hand on her cheek, gently brushing her tears away, tears she didn't even know she was shedding. "They're our adults, my love."

"Gorey..." She leaned against him and grabbed hold of him. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.

* * *

Asriel woke up slowly, his mind hazy. He didn't remember when he'd fallen asleep, but now that he was crawling back to consciousness, he almost regretted it – until Frisk sighed in her sleep and he came back to himself at once. With a racing heart, he looked at her, her slumbering face so relaxed and calm it almost made him cry again.

He couldn't believe it. In the eight years with her as Flowey, he never imagined anything like this happening. In months, he'd not only managed to come back as himself – thanks to her – but he also never imagined being with her, let alone intimate with her. Of course in his dreams – actual dreams, not nightmares – he imagined being with her, but reality never seemed to match to that, until recently. Even being able to help with her injuries, making sure to be as gentle as possible, learning her needs at her most vulnerable of states, was something he really cherished, despite the circumstances. They'd become dear friends during that time, and once they're started working together, it only became deeper.

Asriel never imagined the feelings would be reciprocated, let alone to this degree – though he dreamt of it dearly. His entire body went warm at the very idea of what had just happened, and he nuzzled closer, taking in Frisk's scent and knowing he'd never, ever forget it.

* * *

The sound of loud banging at the door woke them both up. It wasn't unusual that New New Home received rather loud guests – Undyne came to mind – but this sounded different.

Frisk was already moving to guard Asriel, her eyes bright with panic. He was touched, but also frustrated, his usual reaction to trouble. "Stay here," she said tersely, slipping from the bed and grabbing her clothes on in a hurry, her moves shaky. Asriel scowled and immediately did the same, though she tried to stop him. "Asriel, don't," she said, but he shook his head, grabbing her hand tight, stopping them both in mid-dress. Their eyes met, and Frisk's eyes softened at once. She squeezed his hand and nodded, and he let go.

Once dressed, they took hands again gently and walked out of the room. The knocks were still going, still rather aggressive, and both froze midway there. Without question, they knew.

"Fucking vultures," Asriel hissed. "They must know everything now."

Frisk nodded slowly, her eyes hard with anger. "Without a doubt."

"What do we do?" he asked her. He was so used to her taking the lead that it was practically second nature to him now.

Frisk bit her lip, thinking hard, now, not minding one bit. If she faced them, she knew they'd just cause trouble, not for her, but for Asriel. She could take it, but she knew Asriel probably couldn't, and the last thing she wanted was him hurt.

"Go to the basement," she said sharply, turning to him. He looked shocked. "Stay there, don't watch TV, and hide until I get there, Asriel."

Asriel grabbed her hand tighter as she tried to let go. "No, Frisk, no. Remember what you said?"

Frisk lowered her eyes. "There would be no reason for us to be apart..."

"Right. Including now." Asriel reached out with his other hand and touched her cheek gently, and she again bit her lip, trying to swallow her tears. "Either hide with me, or we face it together, but you're not doing this alone."

Frisk's eyes searched his, before she nodded slowly, something purely determined making her eyes spark to life again.

"I know I'm sensitive," he added, "but with you, Frisk, I feel... I feel strong."

"So do I, with you."

"Then stop being an idiot and let's face these assholes together." He grinned. "We have nothing to hide, remember?"

* * *

sans was trying to sleep when again his left eye twitched, and he was instantly awake. "dammit," he grumbled, crawling slowly out of bed. "those kids will be the death of me." With a sad edge to his perpetual grin, he rose to his slippered feet and climbed out the window.

* * *

Frisk opened the door – and instantly discovered what it was like for Alphys and Undyne the day of their wedding party. A sea of flashes instantly greeted her, but she merely squinted her eyes against them, staying in place. Asriel stood right behind her, his eyes lowered away from the glare but his teeth bared, his hands on Frisk's shoulders tight. She resisted the urge to lean back against him, especially when the questions began.

"Ms Dreemurr, is it true you and your brother...?

"Is he _actually_ your brother...?

"How long has this been going on...?"

"Is it true he was a flower...?

"Is it A-s-r-i-a-l...?

"Did you fall in love with a flower...?"

When she felt Asriel's fingers dig into her shoulders and his head lower, pressing his forehead to the back of her head, Frisk decided to answer.

"Yes, we're together. Yes, sort of. A few weeks. Yes. No, with an 'e'. Not really." When she spoke, they had gone silent to listen, but once she finished, the questions began again.

"How serious is it...?

"What are your thoughts on today's meeting...?"

"Do you plan to marry...?"

" _Can_ you marry...?"

"What about children...?"

Asriel growled out the answers this time, surprising Frisk. "Very. Bad. Yes. Not yet, obviously. I don't know."

Frisk started, then looked up at him, shocked by his easy answers. She smiled so wide, she beamed, and she wondered if he even knew what he had said. From the looks of his face and eyes, he did, but without any shyness.

"Asriel," she murmured, her eyes burning. He blinked, then looked down at her, and suddenly they were alone, amidst a sea of questions and flashes. "You want to... marry me?" she asked.

Asriel rolled his eyes. "You idiot," he answered dryly. "Why else would I make love with you?"

"Asriel..." Frisk turned her back to the cacophony and kissed him, not caring who saw it or captured it on their cameras or heard their words. He kissed her back, then pulled her into the house, slamming the door behind her, despite the sudden influx of questions

And that was when the cameras suddenly imploded.

"nope," a voice called out from behind the ocean of people.

* * *

When Asgore and Toriel made it home, only sans remained. The moment he saw them, he stood up to leave, but Asgore – not Toriel – stopped him from doing so. sans actually looked nervous standing there, especially when he looked at Toriel, but also at Asgore.

"sans," Asgore said now, "did you dispel them?"

"uh, yeah," sans agreed hesitantly, shifting from slippered foot to slippered foot. "they were all over the house. frisk and asriel went in long ago, but they still tried to get pictures, so i... may have destroyed their cameras."

Wordlessly, Toriel hugged him to her, shocking him – but not Asgore. He knew how much Toriel missed her best friend, and was glad to see it.

"Thank you," said Asgore now, his voice soft, meaning it. "Today was not a good day for them."

"uh..." Toriel had let go of sans as he spoke, and he looked rather embarrassed. "yeah, but i think it ended rather well for them."

"What do you mean?" Asgore wondered, but Toriel was staring at sans, until suddenly her hand when to her mouth, her eyes misty. "Tori?" Asgore blinked at her, seeing her reaction and being further confused by it.

sans smiled slightly, though if one looked close enough, one would be able to see the pain there. "i hope... i've done good by you, asgore. you too, tori."

Toriel looked at him and smiled, reaching out and taking his hand, which he took, confused, until she squeezed it. "You have, sans. You protected my babies and kept them safe. That's exactly the opposite of what you did to earn our anger. You've finally balanced it all out, I think."

Asgore eyed his wife, then nodded, satisfied by this, and admittedly relieved.

sans looked more than relieved. "thank you," he said quietly. He let go of her hand and added, "well, i've got to get back. trombones don't torture papyrus by themselves." He winked, waved, and walked towards the backyard, where they knew he'd be gone if they followed.

* * *

The timing could have been better, but it was still enough. Frisk and Asriel had retreated to the basement and, after a flurry of lovemaking finally crashed onto the couch, buried beneath the blankets, breathless and floating. Asriel was asleep at once – as usual now – but Frisk was wide awake, barely able to believe her luck – and her joy.

When she heard the front door open, she feared, just for a moment, that they had been broken into – until she heard familiar footsteps. Hurriedly, she leapt to her feet and got dressed, burying Asriel in the blankets as best she could, before she rushed upstairs.

Asgore and Toriel were waiting for her, and she blushed. "Hi, Goat Parents," she said shakily.

Again, wordlessly, Toriel embraced her close, able to smell her son upon her and feeling a slight pang of sadness from it – but not anger, never anger. Perhaps if she'd had someone else's scent on her, she would be angry, but Asriel's? Sad, yes, but angry? Hardly.

Asgore moved close and hugged them both, and suddenly Frisk burst into tears, unable to help it. She felt overwhelmed, both happy and angry, joyful but despondent, successful but also a failure. Through it all, her parents held her close, comforting her.

"It didn't work," she sobbed. "Nothing changed. I lost my temper. It was all for nothing. I tried my best and I still failed!" Her words were strangled by her sorrow.

"It's never over," Asgore said gently. "You are still the ambassador, Frisk. You're also a fighter. You'll win this. You just have to be as strong as we know you are, and solve this puzzle once and for all."

"If I'm so strong, why did I fail so badly?!"

"Because," Toriel said gently. "Failure is a part of learning, my dear."

"I just want peace," Frisk sobbed. "I want everyone to be happy, to be free."

"You've been carrying this all alone for too long," Asgore said, his voice hard. "I know I've helped, but you need a partner."

"Me."

They looked up and saw Asriel, dressed and wearing a sombre expression, his eyes bright and defiant. "You need _me_ ," he repeated, walking to them and placing a hand on Frisk's shaking back. She stared at him in shock, but their parents exchanged sad, knowing looks; Asriel also smelt of Frisk. They were right.

"Asriel," Frisk murmured, "you've dealt with enough crap. You don't need this, too."

"This stuff is too heavy for you to deal with alone anymore. Dad's right, he answered, his eyes shining bright, determined and almost... happy. "Mom and Dad, they have their own stuff, now. But you and I?" He reached forward, and she took his hands without any hesitation. " _We_ can do it, Frisk."

"No, Asriel. We can't... we can't..."

"Not now, maybe. But we _will."_

Frisk stared at him for a moment. He was sincere; she could see that easily enough. But she also saw passion, there, the desire to affect the world around him, instead of just watching it go by. He wanted change as much as she, and the only way he could make it happen was at her side. He knew it. And now, so did she. She could easily see them together, as partners – both political and romantic – with her calmness and his sharpness forming a formidable weapon against what held them back, and strong enough to weather that storm until they won.

With a cry, she flew at him, and he grabbed her in a tight hug. "You're not alone," he whispered, the exact words she said to him in his darkest time of need, and finally, _finally,_ she believed him.


	9. Epilogue: Sleep

**Epilogue: Sleep**

"I think you do need to move out now, dear."

The words were gentle but still serious, and Frisk blushed. She'd forgotten that her parents had good senses of smell and likely knew the moment they'd seen her what had happened.

The day had other repercussions, of course. Despite the camera implosion, the story still got out that Frisk and Asriel (with an 'e') Dreemurr were not only together and lovers, but had intentions of getting married. This was embarrassing, and resulted in the use of hoodies and sunglasses for both. Neither, however, would back down.

It did mar the negotiations with the other politicians, especially when they both arrived to the next meeting, and Asriel stayed in the seats watching, taking notes, and saying his piece when he could. It turned out that he was, with time, a rather astute and keen politician himself, and his acerbic wit and prickly exterior made him impossible to predict – a key weapon in the battle of politics.

In turn, Frisk felt braver, less alone. With Asriel at her side, she felt stronger, less alone, and finally had someone to share the burden with. Asgore was wonderful, and always would be, but his first love was – after Toriel – peace, and that peace for him was his gardens and his school.

Though not immediately, Frisk took Toriel seriously and began looking for neighbourhoods that consisted of people like her and Asriel – and found one, not too far from New New Home. It was an apartment complex, one filled with humans and monsters, and when they applied, they were welcome almost immediately, their own actions preceding them. (Apparently they were precious to those hoping for legal interracial marriages.) It was just one bus away from their parents, and they took it, thrilling not just themselves, but also the owners and other tenants.

It was a single bedroom (plus den) condominium, and it even had a balcony (Asriel was terrified of heights, but Frisk loved it), and they moved in slowly, both out of homesickness as well as their schedule. Now that things were public, they were more sought after by specialty productions as well as regular media – shows, radio, internet, magazines – and they could only accept so much, but they still did as much as they could in order to spread awareness – and in hopes of speeding up the process of acceptance.

The first night they finally spent at the condo, they of course threw a party. It was mandatory by that point, and a perfect way to begin their lives there.

"This place is small," Undyne complained, perched on the arm of the couch with grumble. "It's so high up, and there's no backyard!"

Alphys, sitting on the couch beside her, leaned her head against Undyne's hip and smiled. "Yes, yes." This was, after all, the third time Undyne had complained in this fashion.

"I'm loath to agree," Mettaton said, his lovely face curled into a lovely scowl. "But this _is_ quite small. There's not even room for karaoke!"

"Thank god," both Asgore and Toriel muttered darkly.

"NYA-HA! JINX!" Papyrus shouted, beating Frisk to it. Both blushed, but went silent at once.

"low blow, brother," sans said. "uncool to jinx someone just for being grateful."

"Grateful for what?" Mettaton demanded. "There's no greatness without music!"

"Your brand of music sucks, diva!" Undyne snapped. Alphys blushed at that, shrinking into her seat; it was her that introduced Mettaton to much of his preferred music, after all.

" _You_ suck!" Mettaton answered, noticing Alphys's reaction.

"Shut up, you idiots!" Asriel snarled suddenly. "You both suck! Do you always have to do this?!"

"Yep," Undyne grinned. "It's how we break in a new home, after all."

"WHICH REMINDS ME: WHAT WILL YOU NAME IT?" Papyrus wondered. "MAY I RECOMMEND 'PAPYRUS'?"

"Why would we name it that?" Frisk wondered.

"IT'S A GOOD NAME."

"sans is a good name, too."

Asgore was pantomiming, trying so hard to find some way to describe wordlessly his idea, but to no avail. Toriel watched him with an amused look, looking pleased that he was unable to speak.

"What about 'Too Damned Small'?" Undyne offered dryly.

"Or 'Tiny Matchbox'," Mettaton added.

"sans serif?"

"PAPYRUS PAD."

Alphys had been quiet the entire time, but when she finally could, she said, rather softly, "What about 'Solace'?"

Everyone turned to her in surprise and she went scarlet, hiding her face in Undyne's leg, fearing her idea was stupid.

Asgore, however, was clapping, looking delighted, and Toriel's eyes were misty, her hand to her cheek. sans looked surprised, as did Mettaton. Papyrus sniffed, but Asriel and Frisk exchanged a look that sealed it.

Undyne placed a hand on Alphys's hot head and said, "Alphy, I think you won." When Alphys looked up and saw this to be true, she hid again with a bright smile.

"Solace," Asriel repeated, his eyes on Frisk, who was gazing back. "I love it."

"Me, too," Frisk agreed. She took his hand and held tight, and without any hesitation, he leaned in close and kissed her.

"So. Weird." Undyne admitted, her words bringing them apart with mutual blushes. "Never thought I'd see Frisk kiss anyone, let alone Prince Asriel."

"Shut up," grumbled Asriel.

"THAT REMINDS ME," Papyrus said suddenly, in a tone that did not bode well. "WHEN ASRIEL WAS STILL FLOWEY—,"

Asriel lunged at him and put him into a fierce headlock, enough to silence him. (Frisk already knew and was laughing so hard she almost fell off her chair.)

The party went on that way well into the night, probably later than was allowed, but the neighbours were still so happy to have them there that they didn't mention it. When it was time for them to go (Alphys had fallen asleep against Mettaton, who said nothing until Undyne noticed – and whisper-yelled at him for his secrecy, to which he only replied with a smug grin.), it was practically the next day. Papyrus graciously unjinxed Toriel and Asgore before he and sans – also asleep – left.

Toriel immediately said, "My dears, any tie you want to come by, please do, alright? No matter what. Even if your... solace... is here." She winked. Asriel rolled his eyes, but Frisk giggled, and Toriel hugged both Asriel and Frisk tight. Asgore, as usual, hugged the three of them close.

"We'll miss you," he said softly, his words strained. "So please visit as much as possible." He coughed – and so did Asriel.

"We will," Frisk agreed gently. "We promise. We love you so much."

"We're so proud of you," Toriel whispered. "Whatever comes – we're still so proud."

When the door closed and they were alone, Asriel burst into tears. Frisk smiled sadly and took him into her arms, and he clung to her tight, sobbing, unable to help it. "It's okay, sweetie," she said gently, and his tears paused.

"Say that again?" he pleaded, clutching her tight.

"Sweetie," she whispered it into his ear, which twitched, and he clung closer. She said it again, and he sniffled, but started calming down.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Whenever you do that, I feel... strong."

"Pet names make you strong?" she teased, scratching beneath his chin.

He nodded, sighing deeply. "From you, yes," he agreed.

"Do you really think we can do this?" Frisk wondered. "That we can stand against them all, and win?"

Asriel raised his head and reached up, taking her face into his hands. He searched her eyes with his own teary ones, and she stared back with a small smile. "Yes," he said, no waver in his voice. "Because we have done beyond what anyone else could ever imagine we could."

"Did you... really want to get married some day?" she asked softly, her hands on his, now.

"Of course I do, dummy," he replied, smiling crookedly. "Ever since you kissed me."

"Oh, you did not!" She snorted. "Not _that_ soon!"

He scowled, and she laughed. "Alright, fine. When I wake up and saw you beside me, that first time, I knew."

"Me, too," she agreed. "But what if we can never get married?"

Asriel pulled her close, pressing his nose to hers, making her smile. "Then we're still partners, Frisk. They can't take that away from us. Ever."

"I agree." Her eyes were closed.

"Frisk?"

"Asriel."

He kissed her, and she returned it for a long, sweet moment, until she broke away – to lead him into their bedroom, to finally use it at alst.

It was the start of a new era, one they didn't know yet, until much, much later.

 **The End**


End file.
